There's Power In Pain
by themostcleverandwittyname
Summary: A farmer with a troubled past had found a fallen hero on a riverside and makes the decision to take him in. With Ganondorf gathering power by the minute, there is no time to delay in his defeat however there is a time and place for everything as well as a lesson to learn. Link will have to do the hardest thing he has ever done. Wait until he is ready to defeat Ganondorf. [Link xOC]
1. Lucky

The strawberry harvest had come to a close, picking season was several weeks past gone. The heat of the summer was draining and sucked the all the local farmers of energy but in a deeply satisfying way. The last dregs of the harvest from one young farmer's personal and private strawberry field were packed loosely into baskets and huddled onto the back of a yellow wooden wagon, being dragged along by the steady pace of her only horse. Today was the last day of harvest and Annette was living, a woven straw hat rested over her face as she leaned back on her elbows, trying to ignore the ache of hard work in her body. She was set high in the ornate Ordonian saddle, reins held with slack in her hand. Her horse knew where to go, so she wasn't much concerned with directing it.

She was saving the last bit of water in her flask for the ride home, now instead looking forward to washing the freshly picked strawberries in the cool water of the fresh spring. Always using the trail along the river, the brunette headed upstream as she always had as long as she had grown strawberries. The breeze felt nice and Annette stared absentmindedly at the shimmering water from under her hat, soaking up the smell of greenery and water.

The farmer was so entranced by the lazy flow of the river that she had almost failed to notice a lonesome horse standing at the riverside, stamping its feet and huffing impatiently. It was mostly a chestnut color but with a white star marking on its face, an Ordonian saddle reminiscent of her own was fastened to the mare. Her hand twitched, ready to pull on the reins at any sign of something alarming. She quickly looked around to be sure that there were no riders to be seen walking around. The horse, still far off down the riverside, hadn't seemed spooked as if it had run away from its owner and was rather calm.

Had the rider walked off into the woods? Had the rider been killed and the horse had just wandered here by chance? Was the owner close by, ready to mug and steal from anyone who took the horse as bait for a diversion? Annette couldn't be more careful, she knew the tricks of thieves in the area like the back of her hand and she looked at the ground for any traps or likewise. Slowly, her own dappled mare approached the other and then she was able to make out what was on the ground near the lonely horse.

It was no bomb, no trap, no baggage that had been carelessly left there. It was a man cloaked in green, his head and shoulders the only thing touching the bay where the sand was damp. The rest of him was in the river water, the current flowing around him. It took her a moment to notice the arrow in his left shoulder, the hastily put together and unrefined arrow of a bublin archer. Her blood ran cold but yet she was still relieved. This was no thief's trick and a mindless bublin wasn't clever enough to set a trap like this.

After a few seconds of hesitation due to her own shock, she tugged on the reins and swiftly hopped down from her saddle before her horse could talk back. Still casting wary glances over her shoulder, she quickly dashed over to the man for a better look. Approaching the green-clad man wasn't at all what the chestnut horse wanted and the animal reared up and whinnied, obviously concerned for the man. Must be the owner of this horse then, Annette concluded. She shushed the horse and slowed down, the horse becoming visibly calmer when it realized she meant no harm.

He was injured far worse than just an arrow to the shoulder. Upon closer inspection, the arrow was scorched black and the shaft had cloth wrapped loosely around it. Where it had entered the man's shoulder there was a place where the fire had burned away a hole in his green tunic to reveal tarnished and severed chainmail underneath. This man was no Hylian knight or common criminal from his the look of his clothing, but something distinguishably different.

Standing over him, she tried to get a better look at his face to see if she recognized him but she did not. His chest rose and fell to her relief and his face, though with one terrible gash across his cheek, was primarily untouched and only had the disgrace of being smeared with blood which also had found its way to stain his blonde hair. His hair was tucked under a green, impish hat which was almost comical had the situation allowed for humor. She noticed that his left arm not only had been struck by this arrow but was also limply bent at an angle that made her cringe.

His arm was definitely broken.

Worst yet, his torso was marked up with slashes and the water he lay in did nothing to help his blood clot, the red tinge lingering around in the flow of the water much like a steeping tea bag. One further thing she noticed was that on his right arm, a Hylian shield was strapped, it's surface littered with dings and scratches.

She wasn't quite sure how far gone he was, but his injuries were bad enough for her own concern. She swallowed and took a deep breath, debating if she should try to help or just get on her horse and leave. She didn't know what kind of man this was and she didn't want to face the consequences of trying to help a criminal that should have died on the riverside. However, she didn't want to leave a good man to suffer and die when she could have helped. Whose brother was this? Whose partner was this? Whose best friend was this? She didn't want to abandon someone who didn't deserve it.

Shakily, she decided to at least try to wake him up, if he wasn't unconscious. She made a promise to herself there and then that if he didn't wake, she would do something about this, her own safety be damned. It was the right thing to do and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep if she left.

Holding her breath, the farmer reached down and shook the man's right shoulder, careful not to jostle him too much.

"Hey, um sir? Hey, get up. Can you hear me?" she tried, her voice more stable than her insides. His only response was a low, pained groan but his eyes didn't budge. Lifting her hand and standing up, she looked around again and bit her lip. Since he didn't wake, a promise was a promise so she had to do something.

Looking to the back of the yellow wagon, she thought of the linen that she used to strain the masses of strawberries with when she washed them. That could dry him off at least and maybe be a temporary sling? He didn't look too heavy so maybe she could get him on the back of the wagon? She silently thanked the goddess and ran over to her horse, pulling the reins down to lead her horse and wagon over to the man's unconscious form. Once she determined it was close enough, she released the reins and rushed over to the baskets and found the one basket that held her usual supplies. Among the typical, the folded and strawberry stained linen lay and a small machete. Perfect.

She slung the linen over her shoulder and snatched the knife, hurrying to kneel down close to the man. She set the machete down and did her best to lift the sopping wet and bleeding man from the water, underestimating how heavy he would be. It was dead weight, proving he was indeed unconscious. Groaning with effort, she managed to drag him until the only thing in the water was his boots, not failing to also become sopping wet and bloody. She hadn't noticed the two swords the man had strapped to his back before, as he must have been laying on them.

So he was a swordsman.

She decided that the swords and shield would only get in the way so she unstrapped both and set them to the side. Surveying the damage, she decided to make a sling and at least wrap his torso, the source of most of the bleeding. For now, it was all she could do and she would have to do better later. Ripping strips of cloth with the machete, she managed a temporary sling and wrapped another strip around his torso rather tightly, hoping it would help stop the bleeding.

Taking a look at the wagon, she was very grateful for the fact that the strawberries were scarce today and so not many baskets lined the wagon's surface, giving sufficient room for her to lay the man down. Readying herself, she bent down and with a lot of strain and difficulty, she barely managed to lift him to the edge of the wagon. Using the little bit of leverage from the edge of the wagon that she had, the farmer rolled the man into the spot that was available.

Panting from the heat, her effort, and her own racing heart, she took a breather and without much care, did her best to toss the two heavy swords and metal shield into the back with the fallen swordsman. Contemplating what to do with the swordsman's horse, she put the machete up and lamented her bloodstained clothes. She was sure that Cordial, her own horse, wouldn't mind sharing the space with the new horse for a little while as the swordsman heals up.

Slowly and carefully grabbing the reins of the chestnut mare, Annette led the horse to the wagon and tied the reins to the side, making sure it was strong enough to keep the horse from running off.

Sighing and trying not to doubt her own actions too much, she hopped back on her saddle and headed home, once again thankful for the small number of strawberries that would go unwashed today or even perhaps the next day. It was not a total loss to her and she could focus more on what she was going to do with the fallen man in her wagon.

Annette just hoped she had made the right decision and wouldn't regret helping a man in need.


	2. Bandages

The cup of warm honey tea soothed the brunette and let her forget about her sleepless night, the sweet flavor dancing on her tongue. Early afternoon light came in through the drapes, casting a warm glow in the cozy spare bedroom. She had pulled up a chair and watched the man breathe in peace as he remained unconscious.

The previous day she had done all she could to get him to her house and make a run for help. The merchant that she bought sugar from for her strawberry jams was the first one she had seen on her frantic search into the closest town. She gave several people quite the scare, covered in dirt and blood. The friendly merchant, Zania, was the first to run to Annette and help her gather a few medical supplies.

It was a feat to get the man off the wagon and to the inside powder room, his blood doing little to harm the state of the tile, easy to wipe up. It took a few hours to bandage all of his wounds and figure out a good way to remove the arrow. Lucky for the swordsman, Zania knew how to set his bone back in place but it would still take time to heal up completely. Annette then tackled cleaning him up with a washcloth, stripping everything off besides the man's bottoms. The damage to his tunic and undershirt was unsalvageable but she still set them to the side, not feeling it her place to throw them out. Zania helped the farmer pick the swordsman up and lay him in the spare bed, muttering that Annette was crazy the whole time. It was far into the night by the time that Zania left. Annette still had to make sure the horses were okay and clean up herself.

She slept late, exhausted mentally and physically from the day before so seeing the man bandaged in bed was the fruit of a lot of labor and her tea was the reward. She lazily studied his face, finding it much easier to make out his features now that it was clean and the slice on his cheek was bandaged up. He had a boyish face with a strong jawline and arched, sharp brows. His blonde hair framed his face and his bangs fell to the side. His light skin held a few light freckles here and there and his pointed ears had little blue earrings. One thing she had noticed the night before while she was bandaging him was that he had scars from previous slashings and burns.

Who was he? Would he awake in a panic and take out his fear on her? Rob her? Or just try to make his merry way out of her house? She couldn't be sure but she hoped it was the latter idea. One thing was for sure, he would take a while to heal. His burns and wounds were nasty. The hole in his shoulder was thankfully seared by the flaming arrow but it too would leave a bad scar. His broken arm would take the longest to heal. His torso, though the cuts were not deep, would still be easily ripped open with the slightest movement.

He would be bedridden for a while and though Annette hoped someone would come forth and claim him and take him home, she was still willing to let him borrow the spare bedroom for as long as he needed to recover enough to leave. She knew it would be a hassle and she would have to feed him but it was set in stone when she put him on her wagon. She had to be prepared to deal with the consequences.

Still, she would be on the lookout for anyone who knew him and was looking to get him back.

Realizing that her tea was gone, she grumbled to herself and reminded herself that she had work to do. All of the strawberries she had picked needed to be washed, cooked, and sealed into sanitized jars to prepare more strawberry jam for her business. It was a lot of work to make that much jam, but at least the harvest season was over so she would be at home more often. This was also in her favor so that she could watch out for the swordsman to make sure he didn't harm himself or try anything harmful to her house.

Savoring the last bit of relaxation until she was done for the day, she stumbled into the living room and with curiosity looked at the two swords and shield that lay on her mantle. One sword was nothing out of the ordinary, a simple steel sword with a simple hilt and a humbly patterned scabbard. The other sword, however, struck her as eerily familiar in a not so welcomed way. The scabbard was embellished with golden trim and a deep royal purple.

A purple sword was not common but there was one purple sword with a history. A rich an long history of being only bestowed to the chosen hero of the gods, the sword was impossible to reach and to wield without major consequence. Because the sword was forged by the power of the gods, it was legend that only a triforce holder could wield it without the power of the sword swallowing them into a world of greed and self destruction. Of course, it was only hearsay and Annette wasn't one to believe in those old myths. She knew all too well how a dream to achieve something so pointless as to own a magical sword was impossible by normal people and would only lead to tragedy.

Still, the sword on the wooden mantle gleamed in the intruding sunlight. Curious, she took it from the mantle and held it in her hands. It was heavy and greatly detailed. It must have cost a fortune, assuming the swordsman in the other room hadn't stolen it from some pompous higher up of Hyrule. The hilt was that same royal purple and the guard was angled down towards the blade, the ends sharp and rectangular. In the pommel was a red jewel, though she doubted it was real. Still, though she knew it wasn't the sword of destiny, she still pulled the sword from its scabbard just to be sure. Just as she expected, it slid out with no hitch proving it was an ordinary sword and not the legendary Master Sword, the blade reflecting her own curious eyes.

She realized she had been holding her breath and felt a little disappointed by the truth of the sword's ordinary state. A part of her wanted to believe that the sword existed, that the magic of the gods were real. It brought her back, as she set the sword down and looked back at the empty teacup hanging by its handle from her pinky, the time two years ago when everyone was talking so much about the appearance of a hero who had saved Hyrule from a great evil and took up the Master Sword. Rumor had it that the hero had retired after that and had put the sword back into the sacred grove of the goddess so if the sword was truly that special, she doubted it would be held by some beat up swordsman who couldn't hold his own enough to avoid washing up on a riverside. Besides, that sword was impossible to get to. She knew this for a fact.

Absentmindedly, Annette poured the last lukewarm dregs of tea into her teacup to finish the pot and happily stirred sugar into her glass, trying not to dwell on myths and impossibilities such as a sacred sword.

* * *

Sunlight glowed behind his eyelids, his brow came forward in attempt to banish the light that made him stir, sleep still clinging to his mind. In a groggy haze, he realized that simply willing the light to leave wouldn't help and he lifted his dominant hand up, gasping as a sharp, dull pain spread up his arm and sucked his breath away.

Any grogginess was snatched from him as he balled his fist, willing the ache to vanish. Letting his eyes open to survey the damage, he found himself in a bed in an unfamiliar room. It was common for him to wake with pain from battle wounds and an ache overall from over exertion, but this was worse than usual. His ribs hurt with each breath and his skin pulled as he leaned up. With his left arm in a sling, he relied on his right arm to push himself up on the bed, the pull of his chest and stomach on whatever wound ailed him was enough to have him cry out, leaving him breathless.

Carefully, Link pulled the thick comforter off his chest to inspect what damage was done and was surprised to find that he was bandaged up with cotton and linen cloth. He was used to doing that himself, struggling to wrap himself with any accuracy. He looked around the room quickly to see if anyone was with him, to see if he could make out his surroundings with any clues. The setting was cozy and humble, the wooden walls held basic things like hats and a mirror. The bedside table held a coaster and a lantern. On a dresser was a few keepsake things and a framed portrait of a man with dark hair and dark eyes, his smirk hinted at his personality. A few hunting knives were displayed in a small case. A large wardrobe sat in the far corner, tall and looming and beside it was a small wooden chest. A single chair sat close to the bed, facing him. Someone had been watching him? He was alone in the room and there was no noise besides his own breathing.

Where was he? He assumed some passerby had found him… somewhere and felt generous enough to help him out for a night. Where ever he was, he couldn't stay for long. He remembered the battle he had before he blacked out. He remembered the importance of his mission, of his duty.

After two years of Ganon being presumed dead by his own hands, he was back. The Twilight Mirror had been destroyed but that didn't stop Ganon from building his energy in the shadows. Link had been foolish to think it would end there, but he had been faithful enough in his own skills that he had retired his duty and his sword to live in peace. He began to hear the calls of the goddess in his dreams warning him of what evil was lurking and how Link would have to wait until the right moment and be patient. The goddess warned that he had more to learn, but he ignored it. He denied that Ganon could be back, that he hadn't stopped him. He chalked the messages in his dreams as meer imagination.

But of course, he could only deny it for so long.

Link had made haste to gather all of the items that he had returned to their places in the temples, he had returned for the sword for the second time. He thought that if he acted fast, he could wipe out the power of Ganon before he regained his former strength.

However, Link had been wrong and Ganon has anticipated this. He was ambushed by a swarm of enemies and Link was stiff after years of peace. He had ignored the goddess's plea to be patient and failed for the first time.

Recalling these events made his current state even more frustrating. He had to stop Ganon, this time for sure. He didn't care if he was harmed, if he was maimed. He had to rid the world of evil even if he died. That was his plight, that was his purpose. He would gladly die for the sake of the goddess, for the sake of Hyrule, for the sake of the people, for the sake of his friends. Still, he felt incredibly tired and his will was sapped away by the aching and continuous pain he faced now.

He didn't have time for this. He had to get up, he had to fight yet all of his motivation turned to guilt, to regret in his stillness.

He had failed.

He had failed those who believed in him, who relied on him. If he can't defeat Ganon like this, battered and bruised, then who will? Silently, he looked down at his left hand and noticed the faint glow of the mark of the triforce, the green sector glowing steadily. It brought him comfort and damnation. He was still chosen, still endowed with expectation but still accountable. His throat knotted up and for the first time in weeks, after running himself ragged and barely scraping by with enough food and rest, he was still and left with his thoughts.

It had been two weeks of preparation wasted for a fruitless battle. But at least he has all of the sacred items he had collected from the temples he had-

The items. The Master Sword. His shield. Epona.

Where were they?

His heartbeat quickened and he felt panic rise up. He tried to lean forward and hissed in pain, feeling something rip open in his chest. Warm blood rose quickly to the surface of his white bandages, blossoming out. A surge of tiredness hit him but it didn't matter. He needed to see for himself if his sword or horse were nearby. He couldn't have lost those things, fate wasn't that cruel but he had to make sure for himself.

He pulled himself over to the side of the bed, ignoring his searing pain and now freely flowing chest wounds.

"Hey! What are you thinking!?" He flinched at the ringing sound of a voice, failing to have noticed the person who had cracked the door through his own struggle.

In the door stood a charming girl, her hazel eyes wide with disbelief, her curly brown hair wild and fluffy around her face. Her tanned, olive skin was complimented with a red shirt that was tucked into her brown cargo pants. She slapped a teacup down on the dresser by the door, it's contents sloshing out. He watched in shock as she hurriedly strode to his side and rather aggressively shoved him back.

"Do you want to bleed out? You can't just sit up when you've been through the mill like this!" Her voice was raised, but not out of anger. It was out of concern. "Dammit you've opened your wounds up. Hey, pal? You have nothing to say?" she asked after a few seconds, beginning to dig through the bedside dresser for something rather frantically. She cast another hurried glance over her shoulder, expectantly.

He was taken aback, his voice caught in his throat and he could only stare. She was very… abrasive. It reminded him of a dear friend he hadn't seen in years. After a few seconds she pulled out more linen, gauze, and what appeared to be a medical ointment.

"Since you don't wanna talk and you wanna to sit up, help me out." the woman demanded rather harshly, placing the medical supplies to the side with a side. Motioning with her hand for him to sit back up, he obeyed silently, not entirely sure why he was being obedient but at the same time still grateful for the help despite the harsh delivery.

It was hard to sit up, his breathing felt like a stab with each breath. He winced from the slight pressure of the woman undoing the bandages and in careful, practiced movements, she had unwrapped several of the bandages to expose his bruised and sliced chest. Blood was flowing freely from the opened scab, the hues of yellow and purple around it looked far better than it felt. Link held his breath and felt himself weaken with each second that he was leaned up. He clenched his jaw and tried to push through his own pain and wave of oncoming nausea, squeezing his eyes shut to focus.

With his eyes shut, the stinging pain that spread over his chest caught him off guard and he gasped, his hand grasped at the sheets. His eyes snapped open to see the woman blotting the area with what he guessed was rubbing alcohol by it's scent and the stinging pain he endured. She whispered under her breath but he was unable to make it out. Setting the cotton ball aside, she pulled out the ointment and gauze. For the first time, she took her eyes off her work and looked him in the eyes, her own hinted at a warning before she even spoke.

"This may hurt a bit, but I need to stop the bleeding for your sake and also for the sake of my comforter" she said, the slightest bit of humor in her warning words. He took a breath and tried to prepare for the worst.

With that, she squeezed the paste from the tube, the yellow ointment mingling with his thick, dark blood that was beginning to slow and clot. She pressed the gauze down firmly and he tried to keep his pained whimper silenced, only to fail. His body had enough and he felt himself swoon from either fatigue or blood loss, he wasn't sure. The brunette was quick to catch him before he fell forward. His head drooped, he was unable to hold himself up all of a sudden.

"Oh, here this may help a bit." She offered, not really waiting for an answer and grabbing his uninjured arm, slinging it over her shoulder. This effectively propped him up enough for her to continue to dress his wounds. Being leaned on her took pressure off his own torso, his pain lessened, though only slightly it still felt better than before. The pain was lessening but his spell of fatigue only seemed to increase by the second, dragging him down. Left with no choice, he let his head fall against the stranger's shoulder, the only thing keeping him up.

The woman worked silently for what seemed like hours but was most likely only minutes. He finally realized that he was no longer bleeding and he was all bandaged up again. The woman stayed still for a moment before he felt her shoulders raise from a deep breath.

"Come on, let's lay back down. How does that sound?" she asked, her voice more soft now. No sound escaped him and she tried to ease him back against the pillow as best she could, but he could tell she was struggling.

"You're heavier than you look." she huffed, Link now looking up at her weakly from his resting spot. Her arms were smeared with now dried blood and a wave of guilt surged over him again. "Do yourself a favor and just try to rest right now. Don't do anything stupid like trying to get up or else you might make yourself worse." she gave him her advice in a bossy manner, but her voice was considerably softer than before. She had time to calm down, he assumed.

She stood awkwardly for a moment and looked at the state of her messy arms. She was expecting an answer from him, some sort of response. He wasn't the most talkative person but he knew that but he needed to give her some kind of response.

"Th-thank you." he gave weakly and she perked up at his words. His voice was hoarse from lack of use and her realized his throat was more dry than Gerudo valley.

"Yeah yeah, it's no problem. I'm not a medic or anything but I'll try to help you out anyway." She said, looking at the floor. She huffed to herself and blinked, her eyes meeting his again. "My friends call me Anne but you can call me Annette. If you need anything, just shout okay? I'm in the next room so don't hesitate." She gave, folding her arms. Turning away, she paused and turned back to him.

"I don't suppose you're hungry now? Thirsty more like? If you have any questions just let me know." Once again she stood there awkwardly for a moment, allowing him time to answer.

"Water, if you can. Thank you, again." He responded quietly, his voice still scratchy. The woman nodded and turned on her heel to go get the water.

"Wait!" Link coughed out, Annette halted and gave him a questioning look.

He paused and wondered if she would even begin to know where his belongings and horse were. The brunette arched her eyebrows in wait, prompting him to forget his second guessing and ask anyway.

"Do you know where my belongings are? My horse too?" He began and she chuckled to herself, his other questions fell on his tongue.

"Yeah, your horse is outside keeping my horse company. As for your stuff, I'll bring it to you." Answering through a smile, she left and the door clicked shut.

Relief fell over him. So the sacred items were not lost and Epona was also in good hands. Link took a moment to look over his bandages. They were not perfect but they did not look to be beginner's work either. Who was this woman? Some villager or farmer? It didn't matter to him because he knew he was in good hands. He felt it. His plan was to rest up for a few days and despite his injuries, leave to complete his duty. He was thankful for the help of Annette, but he didn't want to burden her more than he already has.

After a minute or so, Annette came back through the door, two familiar swords and his Hylian shield hanging from one arm and a glass of water grasped in her other hand. He noticed she had also washed her arms clean. He was put off a bit by the absence of at least one other thing but he was still hopeful and waited for any explanation. She set the glass of water down on the bedside table and in a chair in the room she laid both swords down and propped the shield up against the back of the chair.

"There, this suits you right? Are both of these yours?" She asked, gazing down at the swords. "The fancy one must be rare, I've never seen one like it. You're lucky you weren't robbed."

She added, giving him a steady and honest gaze. He nodded.

"Yes, that sword is very special to me." he admitted, feeling his energy continue to drain and his body feel heavier. He assumed that he would later find out where his other tools and weapons were, for better or for worse but right now he was too weakened to drill Annette for answers. He looked over at the water on the nearby table and tried to reach for it with his good arm, the glass inconveniently out of reach.

"Hold up, I got it." Annette volunteered, leaning down to swoop the glass up. "Don't get a big head about this, I'm doing this so you don't break yourself open again." her words came out honest and teasingly, but Link was too tired to react. Sitting on the edge of the bed, her weight sinking down beside him, she leaned over and held the glass to his lips. She waited expectantly, not really giving him the choice to hold it for himself. He would argue and take the glass, not wanting to burden anyone and preferring his own independence, on any other occasion but he wasn't sure that he had the strength to even hold the glass.

It felt pathetic, but he let her tip the glass and effectively water him until he was satisfied. He didn't have to say a word but she knew he was done before he could make a cue.

"Are you good now? You should probably sleep, even if that's hard for you right now. Remember, just call if you need me okay?" She suggested. Link decided that it would absolutely not be hard to sleep now. He gave her a nod and she was satisfied with that as an answer. Without another word, she left the room and left Link in a comforting silence.

He fell fast asleep, helpless in a stranger's room and he wondered if this was the will of the goddess or his punishment for his own denial.


	3. Strawberry Tarts

Two hardly interesting days had passed and Annette's involuntary house guest was holding up well so far. The wounds on his chest had begun to shrink in size, making them less likely to open up if he were to move around. Still, for the safety of her pristine guest room, she urged the swordsman to remain seated in bed. Bringing him books for entertainment and whatever he needed, she still managed to get some work done with her strawberry jam making process. Many shelves of her storage were filled with the jars and ready to be sold.

Waking up early this particular morning, Annette had checked in the find the man still asleep in the bed, the sun just beginning to rise. She still knew so little about him because he was certainly not one to talk her ear off. Each time she had gone in to check on him or bring him something he needed, silence fell over the room except for her own voice and some half-hearted and quiet responses, usually limited to a thank you or the answer to a yes or no question. She found it odd, but she could understand where the guy came from. She would be silent if she were alone in a stranger's house too. For the most part, she had caught onto his reluctance to speak and didn't try to spark any conversation.

She still had no clue if the swordsman had any relatives or friends who were looking for him or where he came from for that matter. With his lack of introduction and no information turning up from Zania, who at the Castle Town marketplace had asked around. They didn't even know his name yet, then again stupidly Annette had not asked.

Something that she noticed was that the swordsman was very anxious and restless in the room. She figured that if he could stand up without bleeding and collapsing, he would be out the door. Of course, this was normal because having to lay and heal was the most agonizing thing especially if you are crafty or a busy body but this man was more fidgety than usual. He would try to get up and stand and be doubled over before he took two steps and she thought that someone would learn their lesson after getting the same results a few times.

Of course, he would have to learn to rest up because opening his wounds every time was only going to keep him here longer and she knew that was the last thing the man wanted.

She let her thoughts fade as she poured the boiling water over the tea leaves, watching the flow swirl over the diffuser and the color begin to steep in. The aroma was soft but still present among the scent of freshly cooked sausage and strawberry tarts. She had just pulled the pastries from her oven and thought that she would treat herself, her friend Zania, and also her houseguest to her favorite dessert. Surveying the breakfast, she gathered two plates for the time being, as her friend had not yet arrived, and began to place the food on each plate.

She grabbed her teacup, which was in the way of her plating, and turned to place it on the kitchen table behind her. When she did, a sight gave her a fright and she threw up hands up, her porcelain cup launched from her grasp and shattered against the tile a foot away, sending tea sloshing across the floor.

The injured man had wandered out of his room and had found himself in her kitchen and she was not prepared at all to see any figure standing behind her. It had happened so quickly she wasn't even sure if she had made a sound but all she could do was stare in shock and dismay at the shattered remains of a perfectly good cup.

"Ah, for fucks sake." she breathed out, having held her breath. Noticing that the blonde was still standing there, surprised by both her choice of words and the mess on the floor, she spoke up.

"I hope you're not bleeding, standing there like that." she scoffed, turning to grab the broom. She heard a soft apology, the swordsman's words sound as if they came from a kicked puppy. She sighed to herself, acknowledging that it wasn't his fault.

As she swept up the glass, the blonde idly watched her with his blue eyes, looking down at the ground. She wanted to say something to diffuse the tension and halfway let the man know she wasn't mad.

"Have a seat, you're making me nervous." she began and cringed at how harsh it came out, the blonde glanced away and silently sat down, not looking at her. Jeez, could she be nice for once? "Um, are you hungry? I made something kinda nice this morning. I was about to bring you a plate anyway but I'm sure sitting at the table is refreshing for you, huh?" she rambled, letting her voice lilt up to attempt to sound anything but harsh and she instead sounded as if she were talking to a child.

Wow, she was not used to houseguests other than her friends.

The man kept his eyes on the table and nodded, his hands clamped together on the table surface. She realized that he had put on the spare shirt that lay in his room for him, just in case. So far, she didn't see any dots of blood through the cloth, which was a good sign. Despite his protests and dumb actions, like getting up and walking into the kitchen, he was faring well and healing fast. The biggest concern would be how long his broken arm would take to mend.

With her mess cleaned up and the tea cleaned, she put the plates together and attempted again at something of a conversation as she set the plates on the oak table.

"Do you like strawberries? These are strawberry tarts made of my strawberry jam and I thought you might like them. They're a favorite of mine." she stated, the blonde's eyes lit up at the desert on the plate. He smiled a little when the plate was passed to him and her mood lifted.

"Yes, strawberries are rare in Ordon and I haven't had any in a long time." he shared in a low content voice, not hesitating to reach for the closest tart. It was the first time she had heard him speak in a few days and she was pleasantly surprised. This may be a good chance to continue to talk and see what she can find out.

"Good, while you're here, you'll probably eat more strawberries and strawberry based stuff than you care to." Annette joked, taking a bite herself from the still warm pastry. "So, is Ordon where you're from? You have any family who are wondering where you are right now?" she inquired, hoping to finally get the answer that she's had on her mind for days now.

The blonde shook his head and looking above her pastry she noticed that the gash on his face had healed completely too.

"I don't have any family but I grew up in Ordon. My friends there would be worried for me but I have taken long absences before." he responded, his face twisting a bit, pausing before also taking a bite from the dessert. So he didn't have any family and his friends most likely weren't expecting him back. It wasn't uncommon for swordsmen to travel and have journeys that last for weeks or months in the forests and fields surrounding Hyrule, no doubt looking for treasures and hunting down mythical items. It was nonsense, but not uncommon.

"Oh, so they most likely wouldn't be stunned to find out that you've been hurt or do you usually return without a scratch?" the brunette mused, a hint of sarcasm gracing her words. The man moved his left arm and winced, placing down his pastry to also try the sausage.

"Normally I don't…" he trailed off, looking to the side for his words. His voice left a silence for an uncomfortable minute, leaving Annette almost hoping for her loud friend to come bursting through the door. With her plate half finished and his completely clean, she debated prying more or resolving to offer him more food as he blankly looked around the kitchen. She figured that if he wasn't up to sitting there, he would already have laid back down.

"So… I feel like our introduction has been a little off, huh? What's your name and what are you so impatient about?" she guessed from the way he was fidgeting in his seat and constantly in a state of trying to leave. He looked up, his eyes wide as he snapped back to reality.

"It's Link…" he hesitated, his good arm reaching up to rest on the back on his neck. He took a deep breath and winced immediately, as it was still too much for his abdomen. "How did you...do you know where my other things are? You brought my swords and shield to me, but nothing else." Link explained, looking at her with hopeful eyes. She gave him a look and leaned back in her seat.

"Well Link, I don't know how to tell you this but you didn't have anything else with you at the time." her honest words came out and the blonde stared back, waiting for more explanation. "That's a lie actually, you were wearing a green tunic and a… fun hat. I have that set aside because it's absolutely shredded. What other items did you have because if you were robbed I don't see why someone wouldn't also take your sword and shield?" her words hung in the air and the same silence settled around them, only this time the tension was solidified by the bitter expression on Link's face.

Annette pressed her lips together, hating to be the bearer of bad news but at the same time still considering the man to be lucky. The blonde squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, a mental reset. Letting her fingers grasp at the empty plate, she pushed her chair back and moved to place the dish in the sink basin.

"Are you sure you didn't see anything else?" Link hesitantly breathed out, a glimmer of hope still in his voice. She wondered what exactly he had lost that was so important. Surely he could buy back whatever weapons or tools he lost unless they were irreplaceable. Perhaps a family heirloom or specialty item? She paused and turned back to him, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Like what exactly?" She trailed off before an idea sprung up "If you're desperate, there might be something in the river where I found you or maybe the surrounding area. I could go look when I'm not busy?" She offered, sighing to herself.

Link shook his head and pushed his chair back. Is he giving up and finally going to get some rest? Of course, she was wrong to hope that the swordsman would have any compliance for his own health. Grabbing the plate in front of him, he winced and followed Annette's own actions, placing the plate on top of hers. He rolled his shoulders and tried to pull the sling off his shoulder, letting his left arm support its own weight. He kept a straight face, but his pinched together brow and clenched jaw told the truth of his pain.

"Thank you for your help and generosity but…" he trailed off, bunching the sling into his right hand to gather the straps.

Annette folded her arms and waited for what she expected the blonde to say, knowing that she'd have to argue.

"I have to go and-"

"No"

His eyes widened at her immediate interruption, his mouth still agape. He narrowed his eyes and tried to hand her the sling unsuccessfully, the brunette wouldn't budge and wouldn't resort to taking the sling. She kept her arms folded.

"I know it's important to you to get your stuff but if you happily try to hop on a horse right now, you won't be as lucky as you have been this morning in not bleeding everywhere. Not to mention, your arm is in no condition to be used. You're a target." she stated matter of factly, with the man's stubbornness she let go of hope that he would agree.

They held each other's stares for a moment. She hated to come to a point of contention but she knew that in this world, letting a wounded man carrying luxury swords run off into danger all willy nilly would mean allowing him to get more injured or die. There were too many forces of destruction in the area like thieving scavengers that lurk around and creatures that are only interested in killing and taking anything that appears before them. She couldn't let someone blindly go out only to be killed if she could help it, even if they disagreed. Of course, if he was determined to leave and wouldn't listen to her, she wouldn't and couldn't keep him here but she would still strongly encourage him to heal up first.

This being her resolution, she still didn't like the tension in the air as he sized her up, wondering if he should argue or just leave. Perhaps if she held her ground, Link would come to realize that she was right and stop trying to tough it out. He wasn't in the position to be a tough guy right now if that's what he was doing.

His mouth opened to give her his next response but he was cut off by yelling and the clang and racket from outside the side door that led into the kitchen.

"Ugh, fucking bees!" a familiar voice rang out. Annette was somewhat grateful for the distraction from the current tension but Zania was already, as she could tell, pressed about something. Common as it was, Zania would always show up and share her problems with the other, sometimes way past a state of acceptable drunkenness. Today she was certain this wasn't the case tho, it was still early and her friend most likely would be running her shop all day.

Her friend stumbled in, almost dropping a woven basket and a large ten-pound sack of sugar. A bee dipped in through the door before weaving back out into the outside. The woman's straight, white-blonde hair fell over her face as she tried to balance herself, cussing to herself. Before anything could be said or inclined, Annette was already grabbing the sugar and basket to help the woman. The icy blonde swiped her hair from her face and groaned, closing the door behind her.

"You really gotta do something about that beehive. If I get stung, I will puff up and be ugly for a few days and that's not good for my image." She fussed. Annette sighed, looking back over her shoulder at Link, who was standing in shock, his harmed arm pulled close to his chest. She knew the fracture would be too painful to allow him to keep it out. Zania's eyes followed Annette's to the man. She nodded at him and Annette placed the sugar and covered basket to the side.

"Your reputation might have to suffer if you come in from that door. That beehive is too far up for me to reach. I've tried to throw things at it, so trust me." Annette confirmed, Zania tsked and smiled to herself, her crow's feet were emphasized. Zania was more than a decade and a half older than Annette, but she was still a loose cannon and didn't act any older.

"So, that beehive. I have an idea. We can get it down somehow and you can have half the honey and I can sell the other half. Honey is scarce this year so it'll make a killing!" she proposed, leaning in to confidently accept Annette's response, which was most likely expected to be positive.

"Oh, is that right? I think you mean you'll make me get the honey down and then you profit and all I get is what's leftover?" she asked, her voice lilting sarcastically. The icy blonde shrugged and nodded.

"Oh Anne, you're the most cynical, sad thing. But half is good enough right?" she still pried, hoping to get the brunette to agree. Her only response was a scoff and Zania gave her a dismissive gesture, looking past Annette to see the swordsman standing silently. She gave him a friendly and jester-like smile.

"Oh, the pretty boy isn't dead. How nice!" she bent down to uncover what was in the basket. Cloth bandages like the ones that were brought in the beginning and some hard candies from Termina. "So I brought you more bandages for your boo-boos and some candy as a greeting gift. After this, bandages are 10 rupees each set of five and 5 rupees for every quarter pound of hard candies. Right now, it's on the house." she blurted her sales pitch with a wink, her practiced and almost shameless words were delivered in a flat tone. Link looked somewhat taken aback, his eyes darting to the basket and then back to the icy blonde. Her brown eyes twinkled and brushed her hair back over her shoulder.

"Tell me what you're called." she said, placing her hands on her hips. Oh no, here she goes again with some way to segue idle talk into a sales pitch. This was one thing she was extremely good at.

"His name is Link and he doesn't want to hear-" Annette began and was bluntly cut off, her friend's voice much louder than her own.

"Oh! Link! I've heard that name before! Of course, you know my friend Telma right? She owns a bar in Castle Town?" she asked and Annette put her palms over her face, knowing this was inevitable and she should just let it pass once.

Annette peaked through her fingers and saw that Link nodded, an unwise decision. She leaned in and placed her hand on his shoulder, a falsely friendly gesture. The blonde flinched away, from discomfort or the fact that he was injured, Annette didn't know.

"Brilliant! Let me tell you something because I like you so much already. If you bring me five receipts from Telma's bar, you will get one free item of your choosing, regardless of price, and a special buy one for the price of two and get the second one free deal that I only give to my most valued customers and friends. What do you say?" she pitched, her eyebrows lifted in expectation. The swordsman gave the salesman a puzzled and dejected look, his eyebrows knitting together.

"But… two for the price of one is just-" he began but Zania didn't let him finish.

"A great deal? A once in a lifetime opportunity? You are absolutely correct. Nice dealing with ya." she concluded, giving him a half-hearted pat on the back.

"Could you not bother people for five minutes? Is that so hard?" Annette asked a question she knew wouldn't be answered. Like expected, Zania ignored it and grabbed Annette's arm and before she could utter a word, the icy blonde called over her shoulder at Link, tugging Annette along.

"Enjoy your candy and rest up. Don't forget to put that sling back on, I paid 15 rupees for that so don't let it be for nothing. I'll be back with your mom in an hour!" Annette rolled her eyes at that and dreaded what her friend was going to put her through. She pulled her out the side door and into the back half of the garden.

"That was hilarious. What do you want?" Annette groaned, pulling her arm from her friend, it ached a bit where she had a grip of her. Zania shushed her and brought her further out into the yard.

Annette's own landscaping was still in good shape despite her absence to work on it. Her rose bushes and lilies were still in bloom and her stone bench was perfectly shaded underneath the giant oak tree, the distant buzz of the nearby hive mingled with the sounds of birds chirping. A stepping stone path led to the front of her house where the horse… correction, horses were.

Once the two got to the front where Zania's carriage was, they stopped beside it and the brown-eyed woman looked around before speaking.

"Do you know who you have in your house right now? That's Link! Does that name not sound familiar to you?" The blonde asked, her disbelief and excitement echoed through her body and she had Annette by the shoulders. In response, she pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"No I can't say that he's familiar to me at all. Especially not his name." she confirmed, and her friend groaned aloud.

"You mean you haven't heard of Link? He was the man who saved Hyrule a few years ago. They say he's a hero chosen by the gods to protect Hyrule and has a special power that only two others can have at a time and it's-" Annette cut Zania off this time.

"And it's all nonsense. You know that is just a fairytale, right? Yeah sure, maybe this guy saved Hyrule but it doesn't mean he's a hero, chosen one, or whatever mystic title someone can come up with. If he saved Hyrule, then that's cool but he's not a legendary triforce holder. That's all a myth." she explained, huffing out her words matter of factly. Zania was defiant and she shook her head and crossed her arms.

"No, I know you're still doubtful after what happened to you but Link really is a hero. Don't trust me? He has the sword! The Master Sword! Just check the diagrams and compare them." Zania's words hit her like a brick. A multi-faceted brick. She knew that sword was fancy and purple but it didn't mean it was the Master Sword. She was certain as she had even checked for herself, she could unsheathe it. Her heart ached when she thought of the diagrams she kept hidden in her spare bedroom. She had stayed as far from them as possible and the thought of checking them was daunting.

"I don't have to check the diagrams. I pulled the sword you're talking about from its scabbard and it came out. The legend says only a goddess's chosen one can take that sword, so if that sword were real, I wouldn't be able to unsheathe it." Annette revealed, daring the other to argue.

"Hmm, well maybe you're wrong." Zania resorted to saying, looking over to the carriage. "Come on, let's go. I need your help with something."

Annette rolled her eyes and reluctantly got into the carriage. As they departed, she looked back at her home and wondered if she should try to give those diagrams a look later on. She recalled the atmosphere that she left Link in and dreaded coming back to any more tension or argument. There wasn't really anything to argue over in her opinion because wanting to leave the house in that state was suicide.

Looking ahead at the horses that led the carriage, she tried to not worry about her current houseguest and trust that she'll be able to smooth everything over later or that Link will have time to come to his senses while she's gone.

For a moment, she let herself wonder if he really could be a chosen hero like Zania had said.


	4. Sweet Surprises

As it turns out, the thing that Zania needed was connected to her shop, just as Annette would assume. Most of the time that the icy blonde needed anything at all, it was concerning her business which what her utmost priority and debatably her obsession. It took a little over an hour to ride to Termina, help Zania unload a particularly heavy box that she couldn't lift on her own, and then ride back.

On the ride back, Annette was careful to search the stream connected to Lake Hylia for any trace of items or tools that a swordsman would need for Link's sake, in the off chance that anything had washed onto the bank. On the ride, they didn't pass the particular branch of river that Annette had found Link at, but keeping an eye out wouldn't hurt for sure.

Soon enough, the carriage reached Annette humble home around the curve of raised land where the earth rose just higher than her home. Her garden and small stables gave her home character and the blossoming flora glinted in the early afternoon sunlight. One thing that caught her off guard was something new in her small garden, hunched over something glinting in the light. It took her a moment to recognize the figure and the glinting object as her house guest and his purple hilted sword. She took a deep breath and shook her head, accepting that this guy was determined to remain injured if he continued to prance around like he was invincible.

Just what was he doing anyway?

The carriage came to a halt and Annette didn't wait on Zania before she hopped down and approached for a closer look.

Link was on his knees in the sod, bent over and panting as he balanced with his uninjured arm. He didn't look to be in great shape and Annette was on the brink of opening her dumb mouth to utter a pointed _I told you so_ before she realized what he was hunched over.

A beehive lay, oozing honey onto the grass. The sword was perfectly pierced through the center. Doubting that this could be the same beehive that was at the very top of the highest tree in her yard, she peered up to the impossibly high branch and was confirmed that this is in fact that beehive. Had he thrown the sword through the center of the hive from the ground? That would be almost impossible, even for a skilled knight.

She stared, dumbfounded by what she saw and tried to come up with some other way that the blonde could have done this but she was unable. She shook her head and resorted to asking instead of standing there dumbly. The blonde, still panting from his feat, had been looking up at her expectantly.

"Did you- How did you-?" She began, still gazing down at the hive. Her question trailed off but the man knew what she meant.

"You wanted more honey but you said you couldn't get to it so I-" he began through labored breaths but Annette cut him off.

"So you somehow _threw_ your sword through a hive so far up that I can't even climb that high on a good day? And not only did you throw it that high up but you managed to accurately pierce it through the center with perfection? Are you usually a savant or is this a lucky throw?" She asked in her disbelief. Link's blue eyes fell and he gazed down at the pierced hive.

"Are you mad? I thought you would like the honey." His voice lowered, once again looking like a kicked puppy. He had caught his breath now, but still remained kneeled on the grass. Had she sounded harsh?

"Me? Mad? No, I'm not mad. Am I stunned and kinda jealous?" she paused and smiled, folding her arms, "Yeah I'm kinda stunned and jealous… a lot. Okay, you got me, I wish I could throw a sword like that." she admitted and the man looked up, giving a small satisfied smile.

Fast heavy footsteps came behind them and Zania had run over to also get a closer look. She smiled and hooted to herself, bending over to place her hands on her knees.

"Look at that! See Anne, I told you!" The elder blonde jabbed, raising her eyebrows. Link slowly rose to his feet, moving slowly to be mindful of his wounds.

"Told me? Told me what?" Annette played dumb, hoping that would halt the conversation from turning to what Zania has said an hour ago. Zania snorted and placed her hands on her hips.

"You know, that he-"

"Nope. Not convincing and I don't wanna hear it." Annette exclaimed, turning her head away in a prissy manner. Link looked between the two and had sensed that conversation that was absolutely _not_ happening was about him. He looked away awkwardly, his fingers fidgeting with the fabric of his sling.

"You just don't like to admit when you're wrong, but you will!" Zania laughed and her face went stony when her laughter died. "So I get half right?" Annette rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No, the agreement was that if I climb up in that tree and get the hive down, you get nothing because it's not fair, but Link got it down so it's up to him." the brunette stated and Zania looked at him hopefully. The blonde swordsman looked at both of them and uncertainty sparked in his eyes.

"So what do you think? Give Zania half?" She punctuated her question with a disapproving head shake, "Or should she get about a quarter, maybe less?" she suggested, punctuating that with an approving nod and a thumbs up. If he hadn't caught her extremely and painfully obvious cue, he was hopeless. The merchant behind her scoffed.

"Oh Mister Link, don't forget that I have given you some absolutely delicious candy and a nice little discount opportunity, huh?" Zania bribed, winking. Annette cringed and Link's gaze held a bit of mischief.

"Your friend has a point. She did buy me candies…" He prattled, the first time he had shown any humor in the past few days that she had known him. It was refreshing to her, especially after their cross exchange of differences earlier that day. She raised her eyebrows and sucked her cheek in to try and hide her amusement.

"It's not what she did for you, it's what you'll do for her when she gets her way. Her ego is like a swelling, hungry monster and you can't contribute to that Link. Trust me, I did it one time and now I'm stuck with her." She confided with a smirk, watching Zania give her a bitter, tight-lipped smile. Link's eyes traveled between the two and he took Annette's words for truth.

"Okay, a quarter for her." he decided and Zania groaned dramatically, falling to her knees. Annette shouted a _haa!_ and pointed at her friend in triumph. Link smiled sheepishly to himself and bent over to grab his sword from the beehive, a barely audible whine coming from him as he pulled the sword out, the purple and gold glimmering. The honey clung to the sword's metallic blade, tinging it a golden shade. She wondered what it looked like covered in scarlet.

He stood back up and took a shaky breath, not saying a word but Annette already knew.

Taken away from her dull victory of beating her friend, she looked down and as expected, an alarming red seeped through the fabric of his shirt. Zania looked up from her pity on the ground and stared in shock.

"Uh-huh, what did I tell you?" Annette began, stepping forward to take the heavy sword from him so that he can focus on getting back inside to dress his wound again. "Let me take that for you." she offered, reaching out towards the sword.

With quick as lightning reflexes, the man swapped the sword to his injured arm's hand and jumped backward, nearly falling back. He swung his free arm forward and pushed her back. She almost fell onto the unsuspecting Zania behind her. Link's eyes were wide and he held his stance, holding the sword as far away as he could with his injured arm. He was keeping a straight face despite how the sudden movement must have made his bleeding worse and certainly couldn't have felt good.

Annette's shoulder stung from where he had shoved her back and she looked at him in amazement, feeling a flash of anger.

"What is your problem? A 'no thanks' would have been fine!" She shouted out, her voice shakey. She reached up to feel her shoulder and rub away the sting. The blonde paled and looked away, his guilt clear on his face. She closed her eyes and composed herself, reminding herself that it wasn't worth it and that the man looked as if he regretted it enough.

"Hey don't worry about it, let's just get you inside and make use of those new bandages." She said defeatedly, any anger she had escaped her voice leaving resignation. Zania, still wide-eyed, kept her mouth shut for once. Link looked down and picked up the ornate scabbard, sheathing the sword, still coated in honey. Annette made a face, wondering how he would manage to clean the honey out from the inside of the scabbard later on. She would have said something, but the firm expression on the blonde's face kept her silent.

The icy blonde picked the beehive up, careful to hold it where there was no honey leaking out in an attempt to refrain from getting sticky.

Link stood there, avoiding eye contact with his sheathed sword hanging from his grasp, his eyes closed. It was… suspicious how he reacted and yet again the question of the identity of the sword was brought to the farmer's mind. She shook the idea away and trekked over to the side door, opening it up and motioning for the two to follow.

Once indoors, Zania set the hive on the countertop next to the sink basin and hurriedly returned to the basket she had brought earlier. Link caught silently sat at the kitchen table, knowing that Zania was preparing to dress his now open wound again. He placed the sword on the table's surface and caught the brunette's gaze. The tension was thick and Annette felt it hard to breathe, finding it best to ignore and forget the situation.

"I'll just… go get a clean shirt. Zania, you'll help me out with-" she began and trailed off when the woman nodded and pulled the bandage and medical creme from the basket. Link pulled the bloodied shirt off and without a word handed it to Annette. She pressed her lips together and wandered absently to the spare bedroom. She left the door ajar behind her, looking over the portraits and knife collection in silent contemplation.

Still holding the bloody shirt, she dug through the dresser and pulled another clean shirt from its contents. She paused and took a deep breath, looking over the men's clothes in the drawer, so many were painfully familiar to her. She took note of how dust clung to the surface of the dresser and the knives in their collection atop the furniture. Before she brought Link in here for the first time, she hadn't been in the room for a few months. Each time she would come in to clean it out, she would leave and never finish, the items in the closet and trunk too important to throw out.

Remembering the trunk, she sat both shirts down on the dresser surface and wandered over to the oaken trunk. She reached for the latch and paused, remembering what Zania had said earlier that day. It was something she tried to never open again, but couldn't bear to throw away. She wiped the dust away from the top and sighed, her mind returning to the sword. She had to know for sure, she just had to. This doubt wouldn't go away until she opened the trunk and allowed herself to prove that the sword wasn't what she suspected it was. She pulled the latch to the side and opened the trunk, revealing a dark outfit folded neatly and a large bound book. She pulled the book from the trunk and stared at its leather surface. Etched into the leather was a name that made her heartache. "Nal" was legible at the bottom right. She just stared at the surface, having never gotten this far. The dust was kept nicely off of it despite not being touched for a year.

Tucking the book under her arm, she closed the trunk and grabbed the shirts from the dresser, keeping them seperate to avoid any contamination. Leaving the room and pulling the door closed, she made a beeline to her bedroom, cracking the door open and placing the book on her quilted bed, the dark leather standing out against the pale yellow and red patterns. She tossed the bloody shirt into the laundry bin and returned to the kitchen.

By the time she had come back, Link was bandaged and treated to the hard candies. Zania stood at the kitchen counter, cutting into the beehive, having already pulled several jars from the pantry. She took a breath and sat across from Link, handing him the shirt. He took it and muttered under his breath something she didn't catch. Instead of making him repeat himself, she looked at the candies that sat next to the sword on the table.

"Have you tried the green candy with the brown stripe? That's a favorite of mine. It's chocolate mint flavored and it's somewhat hard to find." she said, distracting any attention from the tension, hoping to let him know indirectly that she wasn't mad at him. He looked down at the candies in the bag and shook his head.

"The blue one and the green one are the only ones I've tried so far." he muttered, still awkward. "They're very good but I don't know what flavor they are." he admitted, picking the bag up and shaking it around, searching for a certain flavor.

"Blue is blueberry and green is apple. I knew someone once who would get in a fight over a blue candy like that." She mused, the fond memory surfacing. Zania chuckled from the sink and called out over her shoulder.

"Fight is an understatement. Nal would literally kill for one. He threw a knife at one man's head because he plucked it from his grasp and…" The icy blonde trailed off, giving Annette a pitying look. "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have." she apologized and Annette waved it off. Link looked up from the candy bag that he was still searching through.

"Nal? Is he that man whose portrait is in the bedroom?" Link asked, not skipping a beat. Annette nodded and struggled to find words.

"Yes, he is my brother and that is… was his room." she gave, taking a deep breath to suppress the emotions. Link paused in his bag rummaging and realization washed over his face. He peered down into the bag.

"I'm sorry."

Silence clung to the room for a small amount of time, the only sound being Zania clinking jars and the clack of hard candies as Link shook them around in the bag. Eventually, the blonde revealed that he had found what he was searching for in the bag, pulling out a single green and brown striped candy. He held it out to Annette, offering for her to take it.

"Here! I'm sorry but I think this is the only one in the batch." he muttered, shaking it in his palm. Annette wasn't expecting that. It was a nice gesture but she couldn't help but feel it was an unnecessary apology for earlier when he shoved her.

"No, I can't. You've never tried it so you take it. You can give me the next one you find." She denied his offer but he saw through her generosity. Not letting up, he placed the candy in her hand anyway.

"I don't like mint. It's yours." He resolved, bringing his hand back to his bag of candy. The brunette looked down at the candy in her palm and smiled, knowing how hard it was to find in a batch like that as she used to buy several batches and maybe get only one or two of these candies.

"Don't give her too many of those mint candies, she might be your best friend" Zania snorted aloud. The brunette, with no other protest to give, popped the candy in her mouth and savored the sweet, minty flavor. As the blonde in front of her picked through the bag, she noticed he looked quite tired.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Your arm, your chest?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Link paused, swallowing. He pulled his hand from the candy bag and studied the sword in front of him.

"Other things have hurt worse. What hurts is knowing that I have to do something but… am unable right now." He said, his almost cryptic words creating an air of mystery.

"We all have things we need to be doing but when you push yourself too hard, your body always has a way of making you slow down to rest. Maybe now is that time?" she mused aloud, not really offering advice or suggestions but rather stating something vague that can apply anywhere.

"You're right but… it's a bad time." he concluded, resting his hand on the sword, tracing the golden trim on the scabbard with a finger. Annette watched him mess with the sword in an absent way, the sword must bring him comfort.

"That sword is special to you, you said? Did you have it custom made or was it a gift?" she pried nonchalantly. Link shook his head and smiled to himself.

"No, I found it somewhere special." This was all he said and it struck Annette as familiar and telling, but before she could further question, Zania unloaded four jars of golden honey from her arms onto the table proudly.

"Tada! Four jars, courtesy of pretty boy here! And that's two jars for me and two jars for Anne, right?" She jidded and Annette sighed.

"Yeah, just take two jars for goddess sake." the brunette gave up, still plenty happy with the two jars she had. Zania perked up and snatched her two jars from the table.

"Two jars! Anne, you shouldn't have! Forgive me for ditching but I'm going to sell these before the honey shortage lets up so I can make a hefty profit!" She beamed, rushing to the door. "Bye!"

And with that, she was gone and Annette was left alone with Link.

Silence was in the air, pressing down on both of them. Annette came to the conclusion that she couldn't handle it. She stood up, grabbing a jar of honey and heading towards her kettle.

"Link, would you like a cup of chamomile tea?" she offered and after a moment of hesitation, the man answered.

"Can I wash up first?" he asked, a good question on his part.

"Yes, the powder room is near the bedrooms, through the yellow door. The water boiler can be turned on with the red knob near the pump. Be careful when you get in the basin and certainly don't stay in there too long. You don't want the water to soften your wounds. A towel should be in the cupboard." She explained and received an acknowledging hum from the man.

After a moment he was gone and she was able to make her tea in peace, trying not to think too much about the sword on the kitchen table. Once she heard the water running, she approached the sword and brought a damp cloth to it. She couldn't let the honey that Link left on the blade ruin the scabbard and she was sure the man would appreciate her attention to detail.

Pulling the sword from the scabbard, she studied the blade and realized that she has been silly in suspecting the sword. Working quickly, she cleaned the surface of the metal, careful not to cut herself. However, on closer inspection, an etching of the triforce on the tip of the sword caught her attention and she concluded that it was a hopeful tribute to legend and nothing more.


	5. It's Real

Two days had passed since Link had brought the beehive down and he had managed to keep himself from reopening his wounds for that long. His progress was remarkable, the scabs had shrunken far faster than Annette had anticipated. He was able to move around and bend more without as much pain, but no progress was made for his left arm, which Annette was surprised to learn was his dominant arm.

Still, feeling that she had proven enough that his sword was not the Master Sword by handling it herself twice so far, a final piece of evidence would be the only one that she would need. Link was currently outside with his horse, Epona. He said he felt up to brushing her and Annette didn't argue too much, thinking maybe now it would be okay for him to move around more and stretch his legs. It was also a get time to get him out of the house because she wanted to put the final test of evidence to pass and she had the distinct impression that he didn't want her touching the sword with how he reacted two days ago.

She grabbed the bound notebook that she fished from her brother's room and brought it into the living room, where the sword rested on the mantle. She composed herself and her fingers trembled as she opened the book, flipping carefully past pages of drawings and paragraphs all in her brother's handwriting. Finally, she got to the page she was looking for and her breath was taken away. On the page was what was the accurate depiction of the Master Sword, the drawing had been copied for generations from traveler to explorer to thief. It was detailed to every detail and if this matched the sword in front of her, then this was either the Master Sword or a very close replica, which no one had ever attempted before.

She looked at the diagram and felt familiar with every curve of the graphite, it all looked the same. Placing the book down, the brunette picked up the sword and studied every inch, her realization that there was no variation between the drawing and the sword she held in her hands dawning on her. She stared, dumbfounded and uncertain. She looked at the book and read the passage beside the drawing.

"_None that attempt to wield this weapon shall succeed unless they are a goddess's chosen hero. Those of tainted heart cannot touch this sword as the goddess Din's flames endued it the power to vanquish and lift evil, for those unworthy shall surely perish or have their soul forever trapped."_

Surely, she would perish if this one was real… but it did not specify if that was true of the scabbard or the blade. It didn't matter, she had touched both proving it wasn't real… or was there a way? Link had only seemed antsy about her reaching for the unsheathed blade, not the scabbard. She had a mental roundabout, wondering if it could be real until she took a deep breath and came to a conclusion.

She was not a goddess's chosen.

She was not pure of heart.

She was not affected by touching it.

This sword was not the real sword, it was only a replica. She tried to convince herself and did a fine job but she just couldn't shake the doubt. The sound of approaching footsteps sounded from the kitchen and she didn't have much time to react or to place the sword back. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to be caught with the sword and this book open. Given no choice and little time to do anything about it, she held it parallel to her body behind her back, hoping that it would go unnoticed.

Just in the nick of time, she had gotten it hidden behind her as the swordsman walked in and was startled by Annette's stiff and awkward stance. She gave him a sheepish and awkward smile, mentally kicking herself for being so obvious.

"So, how was your horse? It's hot out there, you didn't overheat?" She asked, trying to distract him. He shook his head and looked towards the spare bedroom.

"The breeze is nice…" He trailed off and scratched the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his she had noticed. "Um, Annette? Have you still got my green tunic?" he asked the question, and it was something she hadn't thought about.

"Um, yes I do. It's in bad shape and ripped in places but the chainmail that was under it is totally fine. The um… fun hat is good too as well as the other accessories like bracers and your boots. Why do you ask?" she wondered, perplexed as to why he was wondering about this all of a sudden.

"I think it's time for me to go. I have to find some things and it's eating me up not knowing where those things are. Thank you for helping me but I can't afford to stay here any longer." he said, looking away.

"I would say "good luck" and "see ya" if you were in any state to pack up and leave but you're still… Hey, I can't keep you here, but it's suicide to go out like that right now, Link." She began and the blonde took a sharp inhale of breath, his eyebrows pinching forward.

"You don't understand, I have things that I am responsible for and have to do as soon as I can. I need those items and I'm wasting precious time. I know I'm not up to do it but I don't care if it's "suicide". It's my duty." his voice came out strained.

"Ruining your body and putting yourself in life-threatening danger is part of no man's duty. If it's that important, rest up and heal and _then_ go find your stuff. That should be your duty. I've seen too many good men die for their _duty_ and it's never worth it, Link. Trust me." She argued. Link stared back at her, conflicted.

"I- It is my duty because my duty is special. You don't even know." His voice was harsher and it was the second time that he had begun to get cross with her.

"What don't I know? Are you invincible? Obviously not, look at your state! You might not be lucky next time and I don't want to let a man die if I can stop it, okay?" She tapped her foot, all she could do with both her hands behind her back.

"I'm not invincible but I'm more inclined to succeed than the average person because…" he stopped in his tracks and took a breath to proceed "Because I have been chosen for this and it's my responsibility." he interjected. Annette perked at the word "chosen" and she decided to pry.

"Chosen? What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head.

"I don't like to mention this but…" and without a word he lifted his left hand from the sling and closed his eyes. To her amazement and horror, in the dim light of the living room a glowing, radiant light gleamed from the top of the man's hand, the light traced along a triangle, smaller triangles appeared revealing the mark of the Triforce. She had to be dreaming or hallucinating. Zania couldn't have been right. This was all… fake. She had convinced herself that magical, chosen heroes were all just legend. Just a story to make someone feel hopeful.

She had been holding her breath for several seconds. This was… impossible.

"So you see… I have to go, for the sake of Hyrule." He concluded, his voice soft and the triforce faded away leaving only his skin. Annette shook her head.

"No, that's not… that's not possible. It's not..." she trailed off defeated, unable to make any argument, yet still having trouble accepting that a triforce holder stood in her living room.

"And that's why my sword and those other items are so important to me. That sword is-" he was cut off.

"The sword, it's fake. It's a replica. It's not real." she said. His puzzled expression only proved it's realness to her more but she denied it. She couldn't accept this. "It's not the Master Sword. It's fake. It's not…" she choked out. Link looked over her shoulder to find that the sword was not on the mantle behind her. He then noticed the open book, the diagram of the Master Sword clear on its pages. He connected the dots in an instant. Fear sparked in his widened eyes.

"It's not real, I can prove it." Annette said defiantly.

"Annette, do not unsheathe that sword. Hand it to me carefully." he instructed, speaking slow and clear. She pulled the sword out from behind her back and placed her hand on the grip, wrapping her fingers around it in defiance. Before she could move, Link had closed the short distance between them in a bound, grabbing both of her wrists before she could pull it from its scabbard. His grip was surprisingly strong, his movement no doubt hurting his broken arm and straining it. She was breathless, surprised at his tight grip and his speed. He had never been this close to her and he towered over her.

They held each other's gaze for a while and Annette still challenged his grip.

"It's not real, Link. You have to find the real one if you're chosen." she repeated, certain of her words. She had to be.

"I can assure you it's real. If you unsheath this, you will-" in his moment of speaking, he had let his grip lessen and Annette took the opportunity to prove to him that she was right.

Pulling the sword from its scabbard, Link yelled in surprise and horror at his mistake in lessening his grip. Yet, nothing happened and the brunette pulled the sword in its entirety from the scabbard. Link jumped back in anticipation, his horror and shock carved in his wild eyes. Annette held the sword dumbly and Link let out a deep, forceful breath, coming to grips with the fact that nothing had happened, his amazement was the final answer.

Was it really real? Could it actually be the real thing or was Link wrong because one thing was for certain and that was that the swordsman believed it was authentic. The fear in his eyes and relief after he realized nothing happened couldn't be faked.

"Fake...it's...not real." she breathed out, sheathing the sword and holding it back towards the man, who looked too shaken to take it back and perhaps even feeling the consequences of using his broken arm.

"Annette, you-"

"If you are… chosen then you need to find the real one. Since you can wield it, you shouldn't have to carry around a fake like this." she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to process what had happened, that her brother was right and that the Triforce was real. There was no faking that mark and Annette knew it. She didn't want to admit it, but she had been wrong and the proof was in front of her. It all made sense now, why Link was so anxious to leave.

Link gave her an incredulous look, reaching out for the sword with hesitance, his movements slow. He took it back and swallowed, still pale. He opened his mouth and his words fell from his tongue.

"You don't believe this sword is real?" was all he managed, his words hesitant. Was this perhaps the first time he had met a cynic? Annette was silent, unable to put into words exactly what she meant but still managing to let something spill from her mouth.

"I think you're real, I mean, your triforce mark but that sword is not authentic. I wasn't sure if a sword like that even existed but considering that you are real, then it would be silly to claim that the real sword is not out there somewhere." she jabbered on, not making much sense to herself and mourning for Link who had to listen to her pathetic excuse for a proper explanation. Link laid the sword down on the couch and looked towards the open book, sizing up the document.

"Do you mind if I-?" He began and Annette immediately nodded. He leaned over and swiped the book up from the table, taking a long, studying glance at the drawing. After a moment of his blue eyes scanning the page, he looked up smiling to himself.

"Why do you think the sword is not the real one? You were going off this diagram and it's exact to my sword." he inquired, his point hidden behind his question. What was he getting at?

"It is accurate but it can't be real. I know you don't have to look at the passage to know that anyone who unsheathes the sword will die, as proof, my red wrists." she joked, presenting both her wrists where he had grabbed her so roughly. He flushed, embarrassed by his damage. "So that being known, I am obviously not dead so ergo, fake sword. The real one must be out there somewhere and I might know where." she explained, motioning toward the book in his hand. Her words held uncertainty because the location of the sword was only speculation from the mouths of thieves and her own brother, whose book was dedicated to the legends.

Link gave a knowing smile and placed the book on the table, keeping the pages facing upward.

"Is the place you're thinking of in Faron Woods?" Link asked, his voice coy. She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing for sure that the location wasn't on that page.

"...yes in a-" He cut her off for the first time since she had known him and she was surprised that he had.

"In a sacred grove that is hidden in a place that no one can find in a wood that time stands still." he paused and she had no words. He must be familiar with the legend.

"I know, I was there and this is that sword. This is the Master Sword." his words rang and for once she didn't question his truthfulness, the authenticity, the possibility. She was silent, speechless. What did this mean for her? It had to be a mistake. It had to. She knew better than anyone that she wasn't worthy of a sword like that. If that were the real sword, it must be a mistake or just chance. Was the magic waning over time?

"Annette," Link began and she realized she had just been lost in her thoughts, staring off. "Sometimes it's hard to believe in yourself and even harder to accept that you're good, but being able to hold this sword means that you're a really good person and I believe it. You've been nice to me and you haven't asked for anything back since taking me in." he paused and Annette still said nothing. She couldn't find any words because while she wanted to believe his words, she knew it had to be a mistake. There had to be another explanation for this and a good heart wasn't it.

"If you're that good of a person, then I'll stay and heal and I'll try not to bother you. Besides, it's something that I need to do anyway." he trailed off, something like sorrow in his voice. His words were kind, but his honesty spoke volumes. It was easy to tell that he had felt the way she does now, if maybe only a bit. They held each other's gaze and Annette pushed her lips together, feeling guilty. He didn't know how wrong he was to believe she was a kind person.

The man in front of her was a legend come true, the very personification of what she dreamed about when she was a child and he was nothing like she imagined. He was real, he was an ordinary person who wasn't invincible. He was a hero and she had no clue what he was up against, what had injured him, or what his duty was. This whole time she had assumed he was stupid for being hasty, for being impatient and stubborn. Yes, he was injured, but she now realized that he was also a goddess's chosen.

Where did the line between a tool of fate and an injured man who had basic human needs to be accounted for start and end? She had helped him for a reason, she now understood. She knew when she drug him to her home and dressed his wounds that she would have to make sure he left in one piece. She thought it was just making sure he was rested and his wounds healed but she realized that it was more. Helping him was perhaps the least she could do to right the wrongs that she had done in her past.

Annette knew what she had to do.

The silence had hung for so long that Link had held his breath, waiting for her to respond.

"Thank you, Link. I'm glad you are going to be patient and rest up. It's for the best, but you're right. Duty comes second to health." she stated and took a deep breath, her mind now set on what she was going to help him with. He gave her a look and watched as she scrambled over to the book, flipping through the pages for anything useful.

"What triforce piece do you hold? Is it power or wisdom or…?" she trailed off to let him respond in her absence of words.

"Courage, I think." he responded, his cooperation continued despite him not knowing what she was getting at.

"Okay, courage…" she began, thinking to herself how to begin. She set down the book and looked around frantically for a notebook or something to write on. She found a small journal on the surface of the bookcase that sat in the corner of the room, toward the primarily unused front door. She snatched it up and without explanation motioned for Link to find a place on the couch in front of the small table. She pulled the pen that clipped to the side of the book out and plopped down next to the swordsman, her shoulder bumping into his injured arm. She muttered a short apology and slapped the notebook onto the tabletop. The brunette looked over his injured arm wondered if he could write in that state.

"Can you write, with your arm like that?" She asked, leaning back, ready to offer up the pen. He stared at her for a moment, processing her words as he bit his lip. He nodded and she handed him the pen. He looked at the paper in front of him and took the cue to get into writing position, which for him and his arm being in a sling meant leaning close to the table and resting his weight on his other arm so that he could refrain from pulling his arm from the sling. Once he was ready, he looked up expecting some kind of answer as to why he had to write something.

"So Link, I want you to write down a list of everything that you lost and need back. Can you remember everything?" She asked, rubbing her temples. She felt a headache begin to form. The blonde nodded and stared at the paper for a moment to gather his thoughts before starting with his list. There was nothing but the sound of pen on paper and Annette watched over his shoulders as the letters formed a list. At the top was written "Gale Boomerang" and she felt that the words were familiar.

Link looked up to notice that she had been watching and he stopped writing. Had she been making him nervous? Awkwardly, she reached for her brother's journal and thumbed through the pages.

Just as she had expected, there was a page with a short note scribbled at the bottom. It detailed the myth of a boomerang that could alter the wind but no one knew how. Annette looked up and before she could share the small passage with Link, he had set the pen down, concluding his list. He picked the list up and offered it to her.

"Trade?" she remarked, handing the journal to him in exchange for the list. Her eyes skimmed over it and some of the things were unheard of and obscure. One of the most perplexing to her was iron boots. Iron Boots? Like armored boots or boots made of iron? She let herself imagine what iron boots would be like to walk in and all she could come up with was broken ankles.

"Where did you get this book?" he asked in a lowered voice. She realized he had flipped through the pages and was looking at a crude diagram of what she remembered to be some important mirror.

"My brother was a fanatic. He was so obsessed and intrigued by legend that he would spend months looking for information about one tiny thing. He searched libraries, talked to travelers and scholars. He even explored dangerous places and temples to try and find something more. He would almost get killed every time, but he never learned his lesson until he…" she trailed off, looking with spite towards the Master Sword, "His obsession killed him and all he had to show for his research is that book." she finished, Link gave her a sympathetic look. His grip on the journal immediately lessened and he handled it with more care. He almost looked as if he wanted to hand it back to her.

"Oh." was all that the swordsman managed, gazing down at the pages.

"Hey, don't feel bad for me. It happens eventually, his was just much sooner. He would have wanted me to help you." She said, deflecting any sympathy or pity. She was sick of it. "So, you rest and I'll try and get everything on this list back, okay? I have friends who can help and I will look myself." She revealed, not wanting to look at the blonde for fear of seeing opposition.

"You'd do that for me? That's very dangerous and-" Link began, lowering the book in surprise.

"Oh, so it's not dangerous if you do it? I can handle myself, believe it or not." Annette snickered, used to being underestimated.

Link opened his mouth but words escaped him. That's what she thought.

"First, I'm going to check in the river where I found you and then maybe Lake Hylia because some things may have washed into the lake. I can see if I can get help from a Zora to get anything out if there is something in the deep water. You stay here and get some rest and I should be back before dusk." She said, folding the list up and pulling open a drawer on the lower half of the bookshelf. She pulled out a long, curved dagger, it's scabbard black and silver. She looped her belt through the loop on the scabbard and buckled it secure.

The blonde was shaking his head when she looked back at him.

"Please, just let me go with you. Besides, you need me to confirm that whatever you find is truly mine." He pleaded. Snap, she hadn't thought of that. She couldn't do this entirely alone. She didn't know what anything looked like and not all of these items were in the journal, let alone with diagrams. She took a breath and thought about it for a moment. Link had been cooped up and surely a short horseback ride wouldn't be too tiring for him in his state? He had been antsy for the past few days and with his willingness to cooperate and rest up, taking a few hours to look around wouldn't hurt anything.

She hadn't seen any bokoblins or bublins around that area in months so maybe it would be completely safe? She could hold her own against thieves surely, but she knew Link wouldn't be able to right now.

Deciding it was worth the risk, she bit the inside of her cheek and sighed.

"Fine, but please don't over-exert yourself. If you start feeling tired or you start hurting, let me know so we can come back. And for the love of the goddess, don't rip your wounds open again. They're almost healed." she nagged on, really feeling like a mom, much as Zania had joked a few days prior.

Link smiled in triumph, and grabbed his sword up with his right hand. The awkwardness was visible and his left-handed disposition meant that swinging that sword around would not be easy. He still managed to surprise her by throwing that sword through a beehive, so that could be the least he could do in his state. Still impressive, but still worrying.

She shook her head and resorted to going out and saddling up the two horses for their small but hopefully meaningful journey.


	6. The sounds of Splashing

"You had unsheathed the sword before that?"

The summer breeze ruffled the grass and the trees, the sound of the flutter of leaves was among the babbling of the stream. Hooves gave a melodic and soft thud as they went about their way. The sun had reached its full peak and Annette was very grateful for shady hat and the gentle breeze. The smell of the river and of honeysuckles in the brush swept around them, making the midday ride even more enjoyable. For the most part, the ride had been silent and had only lasted half an hour. The trail, if they followed it further on, would lead to Lake Hylia and the Lanayru Spring, which was just west of Hyrule Castle. Annette was more close to Termina, which was farthest to the West and past Lake Hylia by about two hours by horse. Being somewhat in the middle of the two big towns was beneficial to her, yet also a fair ride in either direction.

Link's question, though not out of nowhere and a product of Annette admitting that she hadn't pulled the sword out the first time in front of him, was a rupture of the quiet sounds of nature.

"Well, yeah. How did you think the honey got off the blade? Do you usually shove your sword back into its scabbard covered in blood, honey, or whatever you slice up?" She gave her rhetorical question, her sarcasm tinged her words. Link looked puzzled for a moment, as if he hadn't realized that his sword had been cleaned.

"Oh… Blood usually doesn't stay on the sword for long. I thought that because the sword is, well, magic that the scabbard would just… clean the honey? Usually that's what it does with blood and dirt that collects on the blade." He admitted, his naivety in his words. What?

"Wait, the scabbard cleans the blood off?" She asked, making sure she understood him right. He nodded, tangling the reigns around his fingers absently. He had frowned at the state of his green tunic and still decided to wear the chainmail beneath the button up she had fished from her brother's drawer, the white fabric wasn't quite long enough to cover the slightly tarnished mail that glinted in the sunlight. She had promised to help him patch up the tunic later, but it didn't stop him from pulling that green hat over his hair. In other news, with inspection of his tunic, some things were found in his pockets that had not been lost, however not impressive enough to cheer over. Just a mere slingshot and a horse whistle, nothing too important yet Link still was pleased to have them back in his possession.

"Yes, surprisingly it's very handy. With my other sword, I have to clean it a lot and it's not easy to do when you're in a cave with little lantern oil left." He mused, memories of previous times flashed in his cool, blue eyes.

"Seems like you have a lot of stories to tell." Annette prompted, leaning forward on her horse hoping to hear something interesting from the hero of legend. He gave a short lived laugh under his breath and said nothing more before looking down at the mane of his horse, a bittersweet look in his eyes. Perhaps he didn't want to talk about it.

Yet again, as they continued along the river and the way it curved, the farmer decided that something other than the sound of birds chirping was in order. Opening her saddle bag, she reached in and pulled out her source of entertainment on long rides, a simple violin. She had left the bow at her home and on rides like this preferred plucking the strings. She wasn't a musical talent but there were a few melodies she had picked up from street musicians and locals. She ran her finger over the strings and recalled how one song went.

Plucking the strings, the melody, though at first was pitchy and unpracticed, began to flow nicely once she got used to her instrument again. She had not played in a long time. The song was fast paced and happy, one that was played at most festivals. Cordial, Annette's horse, was fond of this particular tune and her pace quickened and she gave a whinney, as if attempting to sing along.

This made Link perk up and take his eyes away from staring away absently. The blonde watched her finish the song. She had not realized that she was finished until her playing had come to and end and she hadn't given any forethought on what to play next.

"That was very pretty. I've never heard that song before." Link gave, curiosity gleamed in his eyes. " I didn't know violins could be played that way."

"It's hard to carry a bow around on rides without breaking it. Playing violins like this isn't uncommon, but playing with a bow is much more elegant. The song is a festival song that everyone in Termina knows. I just play it on long rides to entertain myself." She explained, resting her hand on the polished wood. She cherished this violin a lot, as it had been a gift from her brother years ago.

Link listened and didn't have any further comment, but he didn't look as if he wanted to drop conversation.

"How about you? Do you like to do anything in your spare time?" She inquired, placing the violin loosely back into the saddle bag. Link thought for a moment about his answer and his extended silence was relatable. She always forgot everything she had ever done in her life when someone would ask what she likes to do.

"I like to help people. I like making people feel happy and safe." His answer threw her off guard. It was warming, yet so unbelievably kind that it felt like something a governor or monarch would say to gain trust. However, the brunette knew this was not the case somehow and that the man riding with her was being genuine. She wasn't sure exactly what to say to that and watched as he smiled fondly as he thought over his words.

"That's… that's very nice but I meant more of what you do for yourself. When you're alone and bored what makes you happy? Do you paint or hunt or read? Maybe even play an instrument?" she pushed, adjusting her sunhat. Link smiled to himself as he recalled something.

"Well, I don't know if this counts as an instrument or not but I pick reeds and use them as a whistle. Epona here loves it and runs right over to me." he revealed, gesturing at the chestnut mare. Once again, she didn't know how to respond. He what? She must have made a face because his smile fell and was replaced by confusion.

"Wow I've never heard that before. Maybe you can show me sometime." was all she could manage. He looked down at his saddle and exhaled, not enthused by her lack of a proper response.

"There is another thing I like." he began and opened his mouth, as if deciding whether or not to say it or not. "One of the best things is when I'm alone and find things that no one else has found. I like to discover hidden places because I know that there I can enjoy the moment, even if it's short. A lot of people like looking at the night sky, but I feel the same way when I uncover something like that." he spoke, voice soft along with his expression. His words were raw, untouched by formula or conditioning from others. It was genuine.

"I feel the same way with waterfalls and ponds. It's comforting, right?" Annette related, smiling to herself. Link nodded and yet he had more to say.

"Yes, that's a place that is normally comforting but the strange part is that I feel this way sometimes in places there would be danger. In dark caves, for example. I never know what's around the corner, what's in the shadows. Is it something I need to be careful of or something that I was lucky to find? It's weird, but it's exciting to feel unsure and fully engaged in what's happening around me." he continued his explanation, adding so much more. She knew what he was talking about. He looked at her, his eyes hopeful and yet confused.

"I know what you're talking about." Annette admitted and Link perked up.

"You do?" he responded, his curiosity beaming.

"Yeah, I mean it's kinda like that." she gave and his obvious interest prodded her into more. If he had shared that with her, then she could share something too. "I feel excited when I fight someone. There's something about it that makes me feel alive. That may be everyone, but I've always felt guilty about it. It's exhilarating and freeing. It's the same when I'm out alone, walking in the dark along a street or somewhere else. Someone could break my neck, coming up behind me. I'd never have a clue but somehow it makes me feel free. It may be the possibilities that arise when I'm alone like that." she ended her spill and wondered if she should have kept that to herself.

Link looked at her with thought.

"Fighting is freeing for me only after I win. When I fight, it's never for me so it can quickly feel overbearing. Defeat is painful, not because of being hurt but because there's so much more at stake than me." His words came out pained. She knew that he wasn't just speaking of past experiences, but perhaps also of his current wounds that he had.

The Triforce on his hand was condemning, she realized. Not just a right and a gift, but a sentence. She shuddered at the thought of having to bear something like that herself. Before she could come up with any pathetic or weakly constructed response to his pained words, something glinted in the water. Something had snagged itself on a branch that scraped the water's surface.

"Link! Is that your bow?" She exclaimed her question and Link startled at the sudden volume increase. Annette pointed past the blonde at the item in the river and he followed her the direction of her finger to spot the bow. He snapped his head back at her, his eyes wide and excited. She didn't need more of an answer.

She tugged the reigns and halted her mare before swinging down to the peaty soil at the river's edge.

* * *

Link watched as the woman made her way around Epona and paused by the bank. She looked up at him, her eyes nested under the shadow of her hat's brim. Her freckles dusted between her hazel eyes. Her wild, curly hair twirled against her cheeks. Her skin was considerably darker than his, even in the sunlight, almost making him wonder if she had Gerudo relatives.

"You, stay on your horse. I'll get it! Look and see if you can find the quiver. If not, it's okay because we can just buy another one later." Her words came out in a demand and she hurriedly pulled her cargo pants up past her knees, using the drawstring to tie them in place. He took her words and looked around, hoping to spot the quiver too.

A little way up the river, he had spotted the quiver wrapped over a pointy rock that rose up above the water. It was lucky that it was so close and not lost, despite the fact that it wasn't particularly essential to him. Like Annette had said, he could just buy another quiver.

"It's upstream! On that rock!" he called out as the brunette began to wade into the water, the surface resting well below her knees. The current swept around her, the dangling drawstrings grazed the water. She looked over towards the rock and gave him a nod over her shoulder before turning her back to him to trek through the water. In no time, she had reached the bow and quiver, muttering things to herself that Link couldn't make out from his distance. She turned back, with both the bow and quiver in her arms, holding them high above the water.

"You are so lucky I might have to use you to gamble! There's still one arrow in here!" she called out, her amusement clear in her voice.

She waded through the water but froze in place and her face went stark with shock. Something coiled and twisted over the edge of the quiver and onto the farmer's arm. She gave choked, inhuman groan of a shriek and slammed the quiver into the water, her whole body surging into action to sling the trespasser from her wrist. The snake was flung from her arm and Annette, still in a state of panic, stomped away in a frenzied march and fell back into the river. She disappeared from view for a moment under the surface and lurched back to her feet in the calf-deep flow, drenched completely and blinded by her own hair.

Link stared, stunned as only seconds passed and didn't allow for much of a reaction, as the now soaked brunette pulled the wet mangle of hair from her eyes to look around for the snake, who had long fled in fear. Her tawny face almost seemed pallid as she looked up, her likeness like a wet sheepdog. Link wasn't sure if it was relief, the sudden absurdity of the scene, or the dumbfounded look that Annette was giving him as she realized he had been watching, but he burst into laughter.

Her eyebrows pinched together and her eyes narrowed as she nodded her head in spite of herself. She sucked in her cheeks and turned her eyes towards the quiver in the water, the bow still in her grasp.

"Yeah, ha-ha, laugh it up. As if you wouldn't do the same thing." she huffed, pulling the soaked quiver from the water, tilting it to pour out. The single arrow still remained there, not lost to the current when it had been thrown into the water. He was indeed lucky. His laughter diminished to be just a smile and through his grin he tried to make some sort of apology, though he couldn't be totally sincere.

"I'm sorry, you just looked so… funny when you were scared like that. I've never seen that from you." he began, his laugh returning to peek through his words. Annette gave a stern look and she straightened up.

"I am a coward, sure, but I am not scared of a little snake. It just caught me off guard, that's all." she claimed, matter of factly, her nose turned up. He didn't believe it and just to see what defense she had, he chose his next words with mischief in mind.

"Good, then getting it off your leg shouldn't be a problem." He jested and Annette barely had time to register his words before she again squealed and leaped from the water, this time holding firm the quiver and bow in her hands. The commotion set the water around her flying in droplets through the air as she scrambled away. However, this time she didn't fall and her frenzy was cut short when she realized that there was no snake.

Coming to a stop, she took a deep breath and looked up to glare at him, his giggles were unaffected by her look.

"Oh fuck you!" she exclaimed but with a few seconds to whoosh away her short-lived anger, she exhaled and humor spread across her features. "Oh okay, you got me! You got me… Come on, piss yourself! Soooo funny." her sarcasm came but her own half-hidden smirk betrayed her and Link could laugh knowing that she wasn't angry anymore. He was taken away from the moment when she held the bow out to inspect it, her face lighting up.

"Since I'm already soaking wet, I might as well make use of it and see if I'm any good at archery." Her words caught him off guard as he didn't know what she meant by that. She wasn't planning on shooting him, was she? The answer to his question came when after the brunette notched the arrow clumsily, she turned the sharp tip towards the water, just downstream from her. After a few seconds of concentrated focus, she let the arrow fly to hit its mark in the water, apparently a total miss at her groan. No wonder, her form was completely wrong.

"Are you trying to catch a fish that way? When you've never shot a bow?" Link asked in curiosity, leaning forward in his saddle.

"Um, yeah. It's a dumb idea but I want to see if I can do it… if you don't mind. If I bend your arrow, I'll buy you more." she offered as she crept through the water, careful not to cause any more stir in the water so that the fish will return.

"I don't mind. Go for it." he spoke and Annette nodded. Notching the arrow again, she stood back into the more shallow water and kept a close eye out. She looked over her shoulder at him and at the horses.

"You should probably get down and stretch your legs. We'll probably be here a while if my goal is to be accurate." She gave herself a short chuckle, "Just don't hurt yourself and stay away from the edge of the forest." her command came out and with no further comment she turned towards the water. He thought it over and clambered down from the saddle, giving Epona a soft pat. His decent pulled at his arm and the ache worsened to remind him it was there.

Looking around, he decided that looking at rocks was better than nothing. He could be quiet that way and not scare the fish. As much as he didn't want to idle around and wanted to hunt down what he had lost, he knew it was better than nothing.

He was slow to bend down to pluck a marbled grey pebble from the small dunes of others, keeping in mind that he was injured. Although he had healed considerably, he did not want to reopen the small wounds again and reverse progress and he certainly didn't want to hear Annette scold him again.

Rolling the pebble around in his palm felt so foreign, his nondominant hand had been working overtime and he wondered if he would become ambidextrous after this. That would be useful. Annette cussed, having missed her target again and he looked up to see her march half-hearted towards the arrow. His attention half returned to the pebble and half lingered on her profanity.

In Ordon, there were no girls or women that would cuss aloud and stomp around so rudely when they didn't get their way. Annette had said that she was from Termina, so perhaps it was a cultural difference but compared to people he had met in Hyrule and his hometown, he figured it may just be unique to her. She was so bossy and often rude, rolling her eyes and snorting at any inconvenience, but she never neglected to take care of whatever problem arose. She called her friend an idiot and acted as if everything Zania did was troublesome, yet she looked forward to seeing her and still enjoyed her company.

Link thought back to her harsh words when he joked about the snake and assumed that perhaps that's just how she treated her friends? If that were the case, he would welcome a "fuck you" from her, no matter how strange it was to him.

But then again, that just may be how things are with people from Termina and she may just be rude.

With her rudeness aside, Link couldn't deny that she had helped him a great deal and treated him nicely even if she did scold him as if she were his mom. He knew that without her… he may not be as well as he is now if he was even alive. He would like to think that someone else would come along and help, but in this secluded and uninhabited area full of woods, he knew that was only positive thinking. He wanted to help more, but he had no clue what to do. She was happy with the honey, but he couldn't help but feel that it was minor in paying her back.

And then there was… the sword incident. He couldn't wrap his head around it, how she had acted and how she was able to unsheathe it. She had dropped the subject so fast and had tried to ignore it had happened and that baffled him. He knew that anyone who could wield that sword would be thrilled about it, all the children in Ordon dreamed about it and that's why he returned it to the temple… until now. Annette had completely ignored it and the lack of excitement didn't make any sense.

"Hey Link, are you feeling okay? You've been staring at that rock for a while now. Do we need to go back? I don't want you passing out on me or anything." the subject of his thoughts called out, her words were the summation of what she was like. She cared, but always thought something in that made the situation seem like a bother. She was deflecting her own concerns. And this she did very often.

Link stared dumbly back and nodded, letting the pebble slide from his palm. That was answer enough for her and she turned back and shot the bow again, missing and cursing under her breath.

Rude or not, she was helping him and had claimed she was going to help him get back everything he lost and for that, he wasn't sure he could thank her. Especially if she knew how badly he had failed and how Ganon's power grew every moment that she handed him a plate or made him go lie down and rest.

"Did I? I DID! Link, look, I got him!" She called excited as she rushed to the arrow and pulled the large carp from the water, which flopped uselessly in her grasp. "Do you like grilled fish?" She questioned, pulling the arrow from the side of the fish. Link stared in surprise. He thought it might take longer to catch a fish. Shooting arrows into the water with accuracy was something that beginners would have trouble with. Was it luck or just the fact that she didn't give up?

Very pleased with her catch, he watched her bring the wriggling fish to the shore, little water droplets made new dark spots on Annette's half-dried shirt. Holding it above the rocks, she watched it squirm and her excitement faded to confusion.

"I um… I don't know what to do with it now. My brother usually… finished the job." She explained, still holding the fish firmly. Oh, she didn't want to kill it. He stepped forward, willing to do the job. Reaching out for the fish, they both jumped back startled as a crudely made arrow pierced the side of the fish, the impact pushed the fish from the woman's grip.

Link's heart sunk in fear and dread as he knew exactly what this meant. Looking in the direction that the arrow came from, he found on the hill across the river what he had fought so hard to keep from Ordon.

A bublin archer perched on a large, painting boar.

And he wasn't sure he could defend himself this time, let alone the woman in front of him.


	7. Helpless

"Horse, now."

The demand was hushed and barely escaped her teeth. He was already strategizing what to do next when she spoke, taking charge of the situation. Usually it was he who made the first move, who decided what had to be done. They both had their eyes trained on the monster, who stared back as the seconds passed by. Anticipation for the next move hung over the three and Annette was the first to bolt, spurring the action of the bublin to yank the reigns and lurge forward on his boar.

Everything felt as if it were in slow motion. Link spun around to spot his sword hanging from the saddle of Epona, who was rearing back in panic. Ignoring the pain in his arm and chest, he lurched towards the sword, which flew from the saddle and to the rocky ground. This would be the best time to start wielding his sword with his right hand, learning from experience is always better. Snatching the sword up from the pebbles and dodging the mare's flailing hooves, he slung the sword from its scabbard and let the scabbard fall to the ground in a clatter.

Wielding the sword clumsily in his right hand, he spun around to see the brunette halfway onto her horse and the boar closing in, almost to the bank, water trailing behind the beast in suspension. He didn't have much time to be relieved that she had made it to the horse so that she could escape unharmed as the creature rode closer, too close for his own comfort. Picking up a rock in his injured hand, he did his best to throw the rock with any accuracy at the beast. Hitting its target, the rock caught the attention of both the boar and the bublin, which turned its attention towards Link.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, his eyes caught Annette's, hoping to convey that he had this. Now on her horse, she realized in a moment that Link was not on his own stead for the first time and her eyes widened, the reigns dropping from her hands. Glancing over to the bublin, who turned it's path towards him, she did exactly what he prayed she wouldn't.

Swinging down from the horse, she stumbled to the side from the height and looked around in panic for something to help him with. He didn't have time to yell out to her, to do anything to stop her or suade her from getting involved. The boar was charging fast and the bublin had drawn a club from its back, its red eyes gleamed down at him.

Readying his blade, he stepped to the side at the last second and the wind from the creature swept his hair and clothes around him in a flurry. Before the boar could properly turn in its slide through the loose pebbled ground, Link took his chance to lunge forward and strike at the bublin's legs that dangled useless from the makeshift saddle. Hitting his mark, the monster howled in pain, black blood clung to the blade and sprayed out into the air like a putrid rain. The blood clung to his face and he recoiled, the boar rushing by so close to his left that he was certain the hairs brushed his shoulder as it flew by.

Swiping the blood from his eyes, his vision was restored just long enough to see the club in his peripheral and he was too late to react. The impact sent him to the ground flat on his back, his legs stuck in the air, the weight of his sword pulled his arm to the ground at his side. His world spun and his vision blurred. He willed himself to get to his feet, the breath he had lost was not yet returned. He managed to pull himself onto his elbows and catch sight of the red eyes of the enemy as it towered above him on it's beast. Glowering down, the creature pulled it's bow up and notched an arrow.

It was surreal, being vulnerable under the aim of one of these monsters again. He had been powerless to do anything about them for so long and for years he was strong enough to drive them out of his home, seldom seeing them again. Now, when he was supposed to be victorious, he found himself helpless again to protect himself or Annette, someone who had been innocent in this situation. He just hoped she would leave him and be safe if that arrow hit it's mark. He couldn't let a stranger be caught up because of him.

Once again, a stray arrow soared into view and pierced the bublin's neck, sending him ragdolling off the boar and his bow with him.

Stunned, Link looked over his shoulder to see that Annette had taken his own bow and in some stroke of luck managed to make a perfect shot. Her hazel eyes were wild and full of fear and desperation, her own shock at her aim had stopped her in her tracks. Dropping the bow, she rushed over to Link, the boar weaving around them to flee from the scene blindly.

"You are so stupid! What were you thinking! We could have escaped but no! You had to go be a hero when you're injured." she choked out, her voice shaky and her face turned a few shades darker red. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up almost unsuccessfully until his legs decided to work again. Once on his feet, she snatched the sword from his hand roughly, looking past him to see the fallen bublin.

He wanted to argue, but no sound escaped him and he followed her closely, still dizzy from his walloping. She was panting, panicked and angry and desperate as she made her way to the monster, who gargled in its cries, its black blood bubbling up from its throat. Standing too close, the monster grabbed out at her and she swung the sword down on it in her startled state, the contact of the sword on the creature proved it was capable of doing its job. The creature's form dissipated into black, swirling mist and dissolved into the air.

Annette dropped the sword, not prepared to see what it did, most likely expecting the blade to cut deep into its flesh as any normal sword would. She was still for a moment before she began to shake, visibly upset and the weight of the situation falling onto her. Link had seen this many times before, but never like this.

Where the bublin had been sealed away by the power of the sword, the now bent arrow lay on the ground, the blood that would have covered it had disappeared like the rest of the monster. After an eternity of silence between the two and even in the nature around them, the woman's small voice peeked out.

"You were almost… But I… and it-" she began, her voice faltering and cracking away into a soft whine. Her face scrunched up and she pulled her hands over her face, her resolve crumbling as a muffled sob escaped her hands.

Link was mortified on many levels, each weighing down on him and physically upsetting him. He felt as if his stomach was doing backflips. He was useless in protecting himself when he knew he wasn't fit for it. He just hoped that Annette would leave, but she was too kind to just leave him so he directly put her in danger by not fleeing with her. He was certain that he could take it down and even if he didn't he was still certain that he would be enough of a distraction for Annette to escape. But of course, he failed to account for the situation. Was he playing hero? Being too reckless? Annette's words had burned him but she was right. She had to take care of he failed to resolve and now she was a wreck and her soft sobs only pounded that into his head.

He didn't know what to do and he was useless at comforting people, so he stood still and felt conflicted. Deciding that standing around wasn't the answer, he resorted to doing something helpful. He crossed in front of the brunette and picked up the sword that she had dropped, the action of bending over was almost unbearable as his adrenaline began to wash away and the pain from his overexertion came rushing in. His body felt hot and his mind was foggy, but he pushed it aside. He also noticed that the white button up shirt he borrowed was sprinkled with black bublin blood, another nail in his metaphorical regret coffin.

The fish that she had caught was well past damaged by the flaming arrow and so to make himself useful, he would try to catch another one for her. Annette peeked through her fingers, her glistening eyes ringed with red. Black was smudged around her under eyes from where her unobvious makeup had run down. Sniffling, she followed him as she wiped her puffy eyes with the back of her hand.

"What are you doing? Aren't you hurting right now? We should leave." She began, her voice altered by her stuffy nose and still shaking from her emotions. Link didn't respond, afraid that his voice would give away his pain. He didn't want to make the situation worse by giving her a reason to be concerned. He had done enough to turn her day sour and even now she was concerned for him, not the fact that she could have been shot with that flaming arrow if the bublin was a tad better at aiming.

He waded into the water, the farmer stopping at the water's edge. Being as still as possible, in no time the ruckus that boar had made was forgotten by the life under the water. Slowly raising his sword, the tip of the blade pointed down, he brought the sword down onto a fish that was slightly larger than the one Annette had caught. The fish flopped and stilled even before he could slowly bend over to take it from the sword's tip.

Raising the fish up with his injured arm throbbing in protest, he repeated what the brunette had before.

"Do you like grilled fish?"

Standing at the bay, Annette stared back halfheartedly, her demeanor still gloomy, yet catching a fish did get her to stop crying. Not the best form of comfort but still better than nothing. Her eyes still held moisture and were still red, but she looked to have calmed down and her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Rubbing her arm, she looked at the water that lapped at her feet.

"Sorry for yelling earlier. You're not dumb… completely. I was just scared and I haven't seen anything like that in a while. I lost it a little so don't think I'm a cry baby that you have to cheer up, but... thank you." her words fell from her lips and the defensive nature was dimmed by her drained state.

Lowering the fish, much to the relief of his arm, he lowered his gaze too. His face heated up with embarrassment upon realising that he had been thinking of her as somewhat weak for shedding her tears, somewhat innocent. Still, he wanted to make sure she was okay but assuming she was totally weak to the situation was unfair. It was her that saved him twice in a row, the second time being far more dangerous and daring. He wondered if he should call it stupid or brave. Nonetheless, he appreciated it more than he could say.

With no more words to be shared, the brunette waved him along and they packed up and mounted their horses after some considerable time to calm them.

The ride home was silent. There was no talking and no music. Just the sound of hooves and the tweeting of wayward birds.

It gave Link plenty of time to let his thoughts linger over what he should have been able to do and to regret not being able to do more to help out.


	8. Gerudo Delivery

"What makes that bow so special anyway? Why can't you just buy one?" Annette asked, her clothes were no longer damp from her unfortunate dip in the creek and her heart was still now from her panic. Her eyes had dried and were heavy as she was drained from crying out of shock and she was quite embarrassed about it but there was nothing she could change now. Link had been completely silent the whole ride back and she couldn't bear to walk into her house with him in silence.

She wondered if he was hurting and staying silent because he didn't have the tolerance to speak. She knew if he was, he was stubborn enough to keep it to himself and wouldn't tell her. What stayed on her mind was how he faced the monster as if everything would go okay. Obviously, he was a good swordsman and had to be skilled if he was a triforce bearer, but flinging yourself into a fight hurt is absolutely reckless and stupid. He didn't seem to think much of it so Annette wondered if he fought injured often, feeling a pang of pity if that was the case. Of course, he seemed selfless enough but she wasn't sure if that was because it was how he was as a person or if it was the mark on his left hand that made him that way.

She felt for whoever was close to him, his friends or lovers. To have to worry like that was unthinkable. Then again, Annette was basing her perception of the triforce on the legend of the Hero of Time, who was practically worshiped in Termina where she grew up. Anything was fair to imagine now with the proven existence of magical swords and goddess chosen heroes. Still, she wondered what fate would meet Link when his arm was healed and when he leaves to do whatever he is determined to. He was nice so she hoped nothing bad would come of him, but his recklessness wasn't assuring.

"It was passed down in time from a previous hero, but that's all I know. The Gorons hid it in Death Mountain to keep it from being stolen and their leader was put in danger to protect this bow, so it's a gift to me that is very important. There are none like it because it won't ever break… or something like that. It hasn't failed me yet." He explained in a low voice, his eyes trained downward, not meeting her gaze. He seemed solemn, although the subject of her question was nothing to get melancholy over.

"Something like that huh?" She began to criticize but bit her tongue. This was probably not the time. "Well, I'm glad you got it back." More silence followed and Annette looked over the man, the awkwardness setting in. She really didn't want this to last and wondered if she should make up a reason to work outside when she arrived at her house, which was just around the curve of rock that bordered the trail they rode on. She didn't know what to say because she didn't know what was wrong and each word that came to her mind she bit back, predicting a way that it could backfire.

Looking over his white shirt and his dirty, blood-covered state, she knew that a well-needed shower would give him some time to relax and hopefully brighten up. That was somewhat of a relief but something else caught her eye. Of course, she would expect him to be tired and no doubt in pain, but he was swaying in his saddle and his forward lean was alarming. He was having trouble keeping himself up. As far as she could tell, there was no red blood peeking through his shirt.

Catching her gaze, he looked up at her and looked back to his chest, following her gaze. He froze and averted his gaze to the side.

He was hiding something.

He was more hurt than he was letting on.

Narrowing her eyes, she let her eyes wander back to the trail and see her house appear around the curve of rock. Sighing aloud, she debated on asking how bad he was hurt but before she could make up her mind, her lips moved on their own.

"Are you hurt from the fight? I can't tell if you're bleeding through that chainmail." she began, calmly, glancing over to gauge his reaction. His eyes trained on the trail, he shook his head in response.

"I'm sure you won't mind if I check it out once we get inside, then." She stated matter of factly, having that suspicion he was omitting the truth with silence. With that, he looked up and his eyes darted from her to himself, looking as if he wanted to argue.

"No, I'm okay. I'm just… tired." He said with reluctance and his voice had changed its pitch. The brunette took a breath and bit her tongue to keep herself from calling him out. If he was telling the truth, he certainly had a suspicious way of doing so.

With no more words shared between them and Annette's silent plan to catch Link in his lie in mind, they brought the horses to the small, humble stables. Annette dismounted with ease, but Link not so much. He stumbled and slipped down from the saddle, having lost his grip and landed roughly on one leg, managing to catch his balance before he fell over. He hissed and looked over his shoulder to see if she had taken notice of his wince, his eyes wide.

Folding her arms, she rolled her eyes and marched over to Epona, taking the strap of his sword and swinging it over her shoulder.

"Go inside, I've got the horses." She said roughly, gesturing for him to go. Turning towards the stables, she listened to the sound of the door shutting as Link obeyed and quickly made sure the horses were accounted for. Fed, brushed, and tucked into the fenced area safely.

With that complete, she made her way to the door, sword still swung over her shoulder, it's weight haunting her mind and supplying food for her doubts. Thinking back on the morning, she had come to a halfway conclusion as to why she was able to wield the sword.

If Link was a hero chosen by fate, in his state he must be cared for and protected, and Annette believed that her ability was for that reason. She was able to wield the sword by the order of fate to make sure that Link was kept safe until he was able to fight again. She wasn't sure if the sword would snuff out her life after Link was better, but this was her explanation, albeit more of a hunch than anything else. She couldn't come up with anything else.

Pulling the door open, she noticed a great basket left at the door stoop that had a familiar symbol embroidered on the cloth that covered it. A symbol that directly made her feel at home. Forgetting for a moment the troubles at hand, a smile spread across her face and warmth came into her heart. Her mother had paid her a visit.

Taking the basket into her grip, she made her way inside and soaked in the familiarity of her own kitchen. Placing the large, hefty basket onto the kitchen table, Annette peaked into the living room to find Link staring down at the book she had left there, his breathing had gotten heavier. Forgetting the basket, she stood in his view and her hands found her hips. Sucking her cheeks in, she decided to say something about his state of apparent harm.

"Alright, let me see. I know you're hurt so let's see what the damage is so we can doctor it and stop pretending that you're okay or "tired"." She huffed out, not giving him much leverage to weasel his way out it.

Taking inaction, he matched her gaze and gave a half-hearted head shake.

"I'm okay, don't worry about it." He gave, his voice came out in a half-whisper and wavered as if he already knew his words were not going to be taken into consideration.

"You're okay? Prove it. Prove to me you don't have a bruise or that you're not bleeding out under your armor as we speak and then I'll stop worrying about it." Her words were rushed and rough, despite her better judgment calling for more gentleness, knowing full and well that snarkiness was not going to help much of any situation. Still, Link stared back at her with resignation and reluctantly pulled his no longer white shirt away, finding no way to prove anything and resorting to getting it over with.

Tossing the white button up the side, he then pulled the tarnished mail over his head, the weight of the armor pulled at his broken arm and a pained breath escaped him. Holding the mail to the side, the damage was revealed and much like the first day she had looked over his chest, his skin was littered with bursts of yellow, blue, and purple from where the club had bruised him. His bandages had failed to keep his scarlet blood from seeping out and being smeared over his skin with the friction of the chainmail. It clotted in dark black clumps in some places around his bandages and the bright red that still shown was a good indication that he was still bleeding.

It was not a pretty sight at all.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she tried to remain calm. Still, as always, her words flowed freely despite hoping to articulate herself better.

"Dammit, Link! Were you just gonna keep that to yourself?" her anger flared up, heating her voice. She pulled her fingers from her face and her hand clenched up just under her chin. "Why didn't you just tell me? Do you want to suffer?" she continued but no more flowed from her lips and her anger subsided when Link clenched his eyes shut and folded his arms, fingers grasping around his elbows. He looked ready to take more shouting and winced as a silent plea not to. She was mad, yes, but she didn't intend to shout at him. She just wanted to know what his problem was.

"Look, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know why you keep doing this to yourself. I don't blame you if you don't trust me, but for your own good you should be more careful." her voice had softened and her arms fell to her side. He looked from her to the ground and shut his eyes as he prepared to speak.

"I trust you but I didn't want you to…" his voice trailed off, his thought unfinished. He didn't want her to what?

"I told you I wasn't mad. What would make me mad is if you don't tell me that you're hurt and then you get worse and I couldn't help. That's what makes me mad." admitting this, the brunette hoped to convince him.

"No, I meant I didn't want you to worry." He said, his eyes meeting hers and for the first time in this conversation, he didn't look ready to look away. Worry? This was about worry? She opened her mouth but no sound came with it. There was a short period of silence and for a moment she wondered if they were both going to walk away and avoid furthering the conversation

"Why are you worried about me worrying? Keeping things like this from me makes me worry more. I know you are probably looking out for common courtesy or whatever manners you've been taught, but helping you out is no big deal and worrying about me to the point of putting yourself in harm's way is not the right thing to focus on. Don't worry about me, you have bigger issues than I do." She spilled out, hoping to get it across. He didn't look totally convinced, but his arms fell to his side and he gave a short nod.

She motioned to the couch, which was comfortably beckoning just behind him. Taking the gesture, he sat gingerly, trying not to let his blood touch the couch. As much as she wanted her couch spotless, there wasn't a way that she could have any argument for him resting there. He leaned back and closed his eyes and she took that as a signal.

Leaving him alone, she made her way to the bathroom and gathered a warm, damp cloth, bandages, and antibacterial salve that Zania had bought for him. With an arm full of supplies, she rushed back to the couch and placed the stuff down. The blonde looked up at her and as if on cue, leaned forward to begin removing the blood-soaked bandages. Taking up the damp washcloth in her hand, she took a deep breath to prepare herself and with as delicate as she could manage, she began to clean the broken open wounds.

A shaky, pained breath escaped Link and he brought his hand over hers, wincing at the contact. Looking up to see his blue eyes filled with determination, he pulled the cloth from her grasp.

"I can do this. Let me do this for myself." He breathed out, readjusting his posture and giving her a reassuring nod. Annette felt her face flush of color, out of embarrassment she assumed, and backed away. It was good that he was doing this himself, so long as he did a good job. She felt as though he had done this before and while he is no longer too weak to help himself, she should back off. Besides, she didn't want him to think she was worried too much.

Being as gentle as she could, she slid off the couch and made her way to the kitchen table to give the swordsman some time to dress his own wounds. Distracting herself from it, she turned to the large basket, the symbol shining with promise. Pulling the cloth from the top, she found there were two sections. One from Zania, whom she was sure was the "delivery woman" for this particular basket, and the other Annette could tell was from her own mother. She could tell at a glance because it was filled with things like perfume, lipstick, eye pencils, and ornate hair decorations. With these feminine things, in the center showing through the mound was a shining golden scabbard. A Gerudo scimitar with a golden pommel and red jewel in the hilt. Pulling that from the various other things, she unsheathed it and looked at her reflection in the silver blade, designs etched into the surface.

Sheathing it and setting it happily on the table, she took a closer look and found that she had been sent a particular shade of lipstick which she had to roll her eyes at. A bright, teal blue lipstick in a golden tube.

"Wow, I'm not surprised in the slightest. Good news for Zania, she'll have another lipstick to sell." she muttered under her breath sarcastically. She looked up to see Link had wandered into the kitchen, his clean bandage wrapped less than perfect around his torso, his bruises still very visible.

"What was that?" he asked, not hearing what she had said.

"Nothing. Shirts are in the spare bedroom if you're wondering." She answered, putting more attention into the contents of the basket than him. With his absence, she continued to look through the basket and on Zania's side, she found some freshly baked bread, several boxes of assorted tea, fruits, and spices for cooking with. A small note was written and laid with the items, in Zania's fast script penmanship.

"_I bought these with what I made for the honey. I'm sure you'll like the apple cinnamon tea, it's a rarity and I only paid 12 rupees for it! Anyways, I'll be out of town for the next week so if you have any business, you'll have to go to Termina yourself. Love you!_

_(P.S. I found a man who repairs old armor and tailors as a hobby, so if Link wants that green jester outfit patched up, you'll find a discount with him. He's beside that little rat's shop, so pay him a visit if you want.)" _

By little rat, Annette knew Zania was writing about her competition in the market, another store owner that was relatively harmless besides the fact that he charged a little less than Zania did and it drove her nuts. After looking over the contents of the basket, she pulled out one of the Gerudo hair accessories and held it up, admiring the way the light reflected off the chains that hung down.

Link walked in, wearing a pale yellow shirt, comfortably hiding his wounds and caught sight of the headdress. He squinted and tried to make sense of what he was seeing, resorting to coming closer to get another look.

"What is that thing?" He asked, perplexed by the mangle of small chains that connected to a jewel in the center. She smiled to herself, reminding herself he had never seen Gerudo jewelry most likely. It was not super common among Hylians like Gerudo cosmetics were and he was from Ordon so it wasn't likely that he had ever seen one. Placing the chains down, she grabbed a hair tie from the basket and swiped all of her unruly hair from around her face into a makeshift high ponytail for demonstration purposes. The ponytail was very short and the hairs that were too short to reach the hair tie curled around and tickled her face.

"So this is a Gerudo headdress and it goes on like this." she demonstrated, laying the chains in the right order across her forehead and pulling her ponytail through the back. The jewel hung in the middle of her forehead, just above her eyebrows. "My mom must have visited my grandma and brought it back for me as a gift. When Zania sees this, she is going to beg that I let her sell it." She said through her smile. Link watched, his previous solemn attitude seemed to have lifted so a distraction was obviously what he needed.

"You're from Gerudo?" He asked, leaning against the wall for support, still drained and in pain from the day's events.

"Yes, and I'll tell you about it over tea. Go, sit and rest and I'll bring you a cup. Zania sent apple cinnamon tea, so I'm eager to try it." She said, feeling her own mood lift.

* * *

The pain in his throbbing arm was helped none by laying back on the couch, nor was his chest eased by his stillness. He was sore and he was in pain, but at least he was cleaned and bandaged. It was the warm, aching pain that sapped all the energy from you and makes you so tired that it's hard to keep your eyes open. He was certain that if he were on his own, he would be curling up to sleep the pain away, but Annette approaching with a porcelain cup was almost irksome. Not that he didn't enjoy tea, but he was in no position to worry about luxury. He sat up and took the almost painfully warm cup in his hands, the gold trim and floral patterns were different from Ordonian ceramics, but still had a homely feeling.

Annette took to her armchair, crossing her legs and taking a sip from the cup, the steam billowed around her face. Her hair was still up and decorated with the Gerudo headdress, the basket lay on the rug by her feet. He could notice now that with her hair no longer hugging her neck a long and jagged scar, from her jawline to behind her ear. It did not look to be a simple farming accident, but he didn't want to mention it. Instead, he took a small sip from the cup and tried to taste the cinnamon through the scalding tea.

"I take it you have never been to Gerudo? Do you have makeup that circulates through Ordon or Castle Town? Hair accessories? Music boxes? The best come from Gerudo." she began, smiling to herself. She looked brighter as she talked, her pessimism lifted and her fondness gleamed out.

"You like Gerudo a lot, huh? More than Hyrule or Termina?" he asked, taking another sip from the cinnamon tea, this time careful not to scald his tongue. She nodded, the ponytail bobbed over her head and the chains rustled.

"Yes, a lot more. Although I had only traveled to Hyrule a few times to visit Castle Town, it is bounds better than Termina and yet far surpassed by Gerudo. Even you could find something there that you would enjoy. They make very strong weapons and the soldiers we have are trained very hard. It's recovering its strength as a city." She explained, her mood shifted at the utterance of her last sentence.

"Nice weapons? Like that one that was on the table?" he asked, snuggling down into the cushions, careful to hold his cup upright. She was right in bringing that up. He could always use another weapon, if not solely just to admire. She nodded in response, taking a quick sip of her tea.

"You can have that one in there. I am useless with swords and already have a weapon." she said nonchalantly, her eyes peering down into the basket once again.

"You don't have to give me that. You should keep it just in case. I can always visit and buy one." he said, not wanting her to feel obligated to give him anything. She had given him enough as it stood.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right about- wait, no! You can't" she interrupted her self, her hand lifted to her mouth as if trying to correct her own words with her hand. "You can't, I forgot." she said again, her voice lowered. He quirked an eyebrow at that, wondering why. Admittedly, he had never heard anything about the Gerudo people.

"Why not?" he inquired, blowing the steam away from the lip of the cup. Annette leaned back and sighed, placing her tea on the coffee table. Resting her hands on the armrest, she closed her eyes and searched for an explanation.

"Well, you can't because men can't enter Gerudo. There used to be some allowance to that rule, if a Gerudo woman or any woman in general wanted to bring a friend that was a man, they could and it would be fine. However, there is a new rule that allows for a man to be caught only once and remain alive. If you are seen a second time, you would be executed. Unless of course, under the circumstances, you were to be married to someone and they brought you in, but good luck with that." she laughed to herself. He frowned at that, but still wondered why a whole town could refuse men that right to enter.

"Why… do they have that rule?" He asked, watching as she bit the inside of her cheek and lowered her gaze.

"About fifteen years ago, we had a King, the first in a hundred years as I was told. He was horrible, deceptive, and had half of Gerudo under his thumb. He became king because he was cunning and manipulative, working his way to the throne. Once he was at the top, he wanted more and he looked to the neighboring kingdom of Hyrule. The army of Hyrule was strong and he knew that if he took over Hyrule castle first, he wouldn't be stopped easily. So, he threw Gerudo into war. I was young at the time and so my mom and I left Gerudo and came to Termina to escape the draft. My mother didn't want for me to be alone if she fell in war. It's a good thing too, because after that, only a third of the people remained. Since then, Gerudo doesn't play around and can't chance it again. As for that king, he was exiled and supposed to be executed but I learned that he was killed two years ago in Hyrule. Serves him right." her story ended, her words tinged deeply with bitterness. He had noticed that she had clenched her fist.

His gaze snapped her out of her remembrance of the past and her fist came undone and she took a deep breath. He had not seen that bitter, spiteful look on her yet, but this was for good reason. He knew who she was talking about all too well and his heart fell. He opened his mouth to explain that the man wasn't gone yet, that he knew who she was talking about, anything. But no words formed and his own shame washed over him. He couldn't say that he had failed to kill the man that had ruined her home. He could admit that was why he was injured now. He knew she wouldn't throw him out, but he didn't want to see her face when she found out that the dark king wasn't finished yet.

Instead, he redirected the conversation, hoping to bring back the loving, passionate look she had before when she had talked about how good Gerudo was.

"But it's getting better now? Tell me, what's the best thing in Gerudo?" he asked, finishing the last dregs of his tea, the cup still warm from its contents. She looked up and light returned to her face.

"Well, some people say it's the restaurants, but I argue that it's the markets. There are so many things in Gerudo to buy and look at." She began, taking her tea from the coffee table.

Slowly that same happy, almost nostalgic glee washed over her and Link could try to forget his shame just for long enough to listen to Annette drone on happily.

* * *

"That soup is really hard to make, they say. Anyway, that's why if you come across a radish, you should hold onto it."

Annette had talked at length and Link has listened quietly, but she could tell that he had been nodding off from time to time. This time, as no words or soft mumbled questions had come from him, she knew before she even gave him a look.

He had fallen asleep on the couch.

She sighed and the silence weighed over the room, yet it was not uncomfortable. Her teacup had been long empty and she too felt tired. It wasn't but late in the afternoon and she wasn't sure that the sun had even set yet. Standing up slowly, lifting the teacup carefully, she made her way to the kitchen. She meditated for a moment on whether or not she was hungry and found herself content. Looking back into the living room, she let her held breath roll out of her mouth.

Reaching up, she pulled the Gerudo headdress from her hair and placed it down on the kitchen table, feeling more exhausted with every movement. This day has been tremendously long and insightful. She had learned the man on her couch was a triforce bearer and held an ancient and sought after magic sword. She had also nearly been shot with a career-ending flaming arrow after taking an unwanted dip in the creek.

She mused over her decision to help Link find his things. He wasn't useless by any means, extremely helpful to her and he seemed grateful enough, but he also had destiny on him. Since he had destiny on his shoulders and was harmed to the point of being vulnerable, she could at least help as much as she could. She knew it probably wasn't much yet to ride to a creek and find a bow, but she knew there were more things and she just wasn't sure it was possible. She knew it would be a lot, but her harvest was over and she was certain fate had already wrapped her up in this.

What other reason than to help him would she have for wielding a sword like that?

She just hoped that whatever came out of this would be helpful for him. She wasn't sure what he faced, but it had to be huge and it had to be nasty. And for her own sake, she wanted the peace of mind that she could help someone in need.

With reluctance, she decided not to wake Link and to just grab a spare blanket. He had to be in pain and so getting comfortable enough to sleep had to be some feat. Her thoughts soured when she recalled how he tried to hide his bleeding from her. How dare he? It wouldn't have made her worry any less if he had passed out on her floor from blood loss. She halfway wondered if his position led him to be so reckless or if that was just a personality trait.

Either way, it pinched at her thoughts a bit to know that he didn't want her to worry. She hadn't known him for very long, but already she was fond enough of him to want the best for him and that wasn't it. She hoped that he would tell her next time.

In her thoughts, she had found a soft blanket and made her way to the couch to drape the blanket over him. His chest rose and fell under the blanket, his head leaned to the side. A peaceful expression on his otherwise worrisome and pensive face. His green hat still laid under his head and she had half a mind to take it off and place it aside, but didn't want to risk waking him. She hoped he was comfortable enough.

With another look to make sure he looked well, she too retired to her room for the evening, letting the days events roll through her thoughts.


	9. Goron Biscuits

_Warm, golden light seeped in through the kitchen, casting a honey glow on every surface. Filling a water canteen to the brim, a man with dark hair and a forever present playful smirk turned to face the girl in front of him. Annette was silent, her lips felt glued shut as she watched the man before her gather his travel gear._

"_You worry too much, it's just a few days. You know I'll be in good hands. Just take care of yourself and relax." He said through his smile, his tone reflecting his confidence. She wanted to reach out to him, to snatch the travel bag from his shoulder and yet the same. She was glued in place. It was all too familiar. _

_The warm light glowed brighter in the room, coming from no recognizable source and making anything that blocked it out a silhouette. This is when the words that fell from the man's mouth became unrecognizable, smeared by the air and whisked away from Annette's ears. She narrowed her eyes and tried to make out the man's face, but the light was too much. _

_Before she could begin to make out his features, he turned towards the door and began to leave. She knew that he would not come back. She didn't know how or why, but he wouldn't come back. The door was pulled open and all she could see was his back, obscured by the light and the building distortion in her vision. She couldn't let him leave._

_The last seconds of the door closing felt like it was stretched across many hours as Annette willed herself to move, to scream. She knew that no words would escape her as this was familiar. She had experienced this many times before. _

_With all of her efforts lost, the door shut and with the click of the lock following it, the golden light was extinguished like a flame and the air became frigid and dense, any warmth absent. This was familiar. _

_Now able to move, she slumped to the floor, grasping at her clothes and waited. For what, she didn't know._

_However, this time something unfamiliar stepped out from the darkness. The air felt sinister and charged, as if danger lingered and increased with every passing second. A soft red glow reflected on the cold tile of the kitchen floor and the brunette was hesitant to look up at the figure. _

_Peeling her eyes from the comforting safety of the floor, she followed the shadow from the floor to the ceiling, as it loomed over her. _

_Its yellow eyes stared back. _

In an instant, she bolted up to escape the lurking evil but found herself escaping nothing but her pillow. Looking around, she realized that it was nothing more than a dream and she let out a shaky breath. Knowing full and well she was safe now, the fear still clung to her heart just as the blankets clung to her form.

Rubbing her temples, the grogginess overcame the sense of fear, yet not entirely. Her hands her still shaking and her heart was still stuttering. She looked to the window and found that the sun was shining through the curtains.

Tossing the blankets from her, she swung her legs off the bed and looked in the mirror beside her bed. The vanity held some of the Gerudo makeup that she had collected over the years and rarely touched along with a few cherished books. In the reflection, she saw her wild hazel eyes peering back, her hair messy and sticking out from her sleep. Nothing unusual. She debated curling back up in her bed before she realized that she intended to go to Termina to run some errands. Chiefly, getting the green tunic that Link almost destroyed fixed. She also planned to ask around to see if anyone had seen any of the things Link had lost.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she willing herself to get up and get productive, but the lingering confines of sleep still drew her in.

That was, until she caught the sound of soft clinks and bumps from the kitchen.

* * *

Link had woken due to his discomfort around dawn and couldn't go back to sleep. Knowing that nothing could be helped for the pain in his arm, he rolled from his bed and resorted to rummaging through the kitchen pantry.

He was no cook and he only barely made decent food for himself, but he was sure that was for lack of trying. He wanted to make breakfast for once and he wanted to do it properly. Besides, it was the least he could do for his host. He managed to find the last of some salt cured ham and the ingredients to make biscuits. It was all that he knew how to do, but at least he would have fresh strawberry jam to make the biscuits taste better if he messed up. The oven was a stone oven with a round belly, the wood under the baking rack was piled in odd array. It was different from his, which was a more simple oven. Taking the flint starter that laid beside the oven, he lit the fire.

Trying to recall how to make biscuits, he stirred the ingredients into a bowl and made a little bit of a mess with the flour. Little dots of flour littered the floor and Link held his breath, making a mental note to sweep it up later. Once he had a dough that resembled what he wanted, he fished around in the cabinets for a pan and began to form little biscuits, which he dropped on the pan without much skill.

Examining his work, he sighed and resorted to sliding the pan into the oven, looking at his work with only half satisfaction. Cooking was definitely not his strong suit, but it distracted him from the pain in his arm and he hoped that it was satisfactory for Annette. With as many things as she prepared for the both of them in the time he had been there, he wanted to make at least one thing for her. If biscuits and ham was all, it was better than nothing.

Taking another look at the flour sprinkled on the floor, he once again rummaged through the cabinet for a frying pan. Laying the strips on ham on the pan, he planned to sear the surface to bring out the flavor. Not knowing exactly what he was doing, with the oven having only one baking rack, which was occupied by the biscuits, he knelt down beside the oven and held the pan over the fire, assuming that would be good enough.

Before he could get accustomed to holding the pan over the fire, he heard a shuffling in the living room. Looking up to find Annette half stumbling into the living room, he found himself smiling at how groggy she looked. Usually, she was awake before he was, so he never got to see her half awake like this, hair in utter disarray. Her sleepwear consisted of a patterned shirt that looked a little big for her and a long skirt with ruffles on the hem. This morning she looked less fierce than normal. He didn't know if it was because she had just awoken or if something was bothering her, the slight shake in her hand almost escaped him.

Her eyes where squinted as she looked down at him in confusion, slowly putting the pieces together. Her eyebrows raised and she looked over his shoulder at the flour on the floor. He watched her usually demeanor return as a smirk crossed her lips.

"If you were hot, you could have opened the window. You didn't have to make it snow." she said through a smile, any meaning in her words were dismissed by her teasing tone. Still, he felt his ears grow hot with embarrassment.

"I was going to take care of that." he replied, sheepishly, a nervous laugh escaped him. Rubbing her eyes, she strode over to the broom, her skirt trailing behind her. He left the pan where it lay and took to his feet, seeking to take the broom from her.

"No need. I'll take care of it." she said resolutely, already setting off. He reached out and grabbed the handle, and she was slow to look up. She already knew what he was doing, and he fully expected her to argue with him. However, she let her hand fall from the broom. Was she too sleepy to argue? She took a step back and looked at the floor. He wasn't sure if it was because of the flour or if she was thinking over something. Whatever it was, he was almost certain that her face fell, her mood shifting. He held his breath and through a yawn, she spoke again.

"I'll...um, it might be good to make some coffee." She said, her words marred by her yawn.

He gave her a weary glance and went to sweeping, his mess taken care of in no time. In the background, the brunette made the coffee and leaned against the counter, watching him absently as he put the broom away and checked the biscuits and ham. He knelt down and flipped the ham, the crisp sizzle sound was enticing. His hunger was beginning to spark up, the scent of the ham filling his senses.

"That smells so good. Good job, Link." Annette gave her compliment in a soft way, her voice much more quiet than usual, lacking its usual hard edge. He looked over his shoulder, noticing that it wasn't just the sleepiness. Her mood was different. She looked sad and he wondered if he had done something to upset her or if it was something else.

In no time the biscuits and ham were finished and Annette pulled some plates from the cabinet, the yellow roses painted in the ceramic gave a warm touch to the meal. Link motioned for her to go first and she obliged, picking the ham up with the prongs of her fork and laying them on her plate.

However, when she grabbed a biscuit from the tray, she paused in her tracks. She closed her eyes and exhaled, a grin spreading over her face. Raising a hand to her mouth, she let out a snort and giggled into her hand, shaking her hand. He was appalled, wondering what on earth she was laughing at all of a sudden. She was trying to suppress her smile, but was unable to and instead opted to handing him the white, fluffy looking biscuit.

Unsure, he took the biscuit in his hand and it was much heavier than a standard biscuit and hard as stone. Between her breathy giggles, she managed one line.

"You have weaponized these biscuits." she spoke through her laughs, taking a step back from the counter top. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice rose in pitch, her disbelief clinging to them.

"How did you manage this? What did you put in these? Concrete?" She asked, her eyes glossy from her laughing spell. He pressed his lips together, taking a deep breath feeling his disappointment in himself rise. He messed up biscuits and ruined the breakfast.

"Link, this is the best thing that's happened all morning. I needed this." she finished, her laugh fading but her grin remained. She was sincere, and he felt conflicted having failed but not entirely.

"You like hard biscuits?" he asked, not sure if that was the point she was getting at. She shook her head and grabbed her plate, which solely featured the ham.

"Not at all, but I like that you tried. We celebrate our mistakes in this house." she said , her eyes looking down at her plate. She hesitated with her next words, but must have decided to say them anyway. "You know, when my brother… he never even tried to cook anything for me. He was too scared he would mess up. I haven't had anyone try to do something like this in a long time." She said, her voice and eyes held a difference softness, before she herself realized what she was saying.

She cleared her throat and shook her head, as if shaking her previous thoughts away. She looked back up at him, mischief returning to her hazel eyes.

"But I suppose if you had a slingshot, these could be another weapon in your arsenal. Goron Biscuits." she teased and stepped to the side, motioning at his plate on the counter top. Taking her seat, she placed her elbow on the table and watched him. Smiling to himself, he fixed his plate with a load of ham, finishing off the rest, and made a grab for one of the biscuits, but Annette pipped up.

"I wouldn't unless you want a gummy smile." she advised, her humor in her tone. He agreed, he didn't want to sink his teeth into a solid biscuit, but he felt weird letting them go to waste.

With his plate finished, he too took a seat at the table and leaned forward, willing the pain in his arm to leave him. His chest was more bearable, being only slightly discomforting.

"How are you feeling? You're usually not up this early." Annette asked, taking a bite from her ham and he realized that he hadn't touched his plate yet, despite feeling his hunger claw at him. He opened his mouth and changed his statement of being fine to just telling the truth, as her eyebrows raised.

"It hurts. My arm, it just aches. It woke me this morning and cooking breakfast was a good distraction, but the pain didn't wane. A distraction did help though." Link admitted, twirling his fork between his fingers of his right hand, the awkward feeling of using his non-dominant hand hadn't changed since he woke many days ago.

"I see." she said, her voice fell. "Then you can stay here and rest all day with no distractions. I have to go to Termina today to get some things taken care of and to bring back groceries, so that should be nice. I'll also get some traveling supplies because once your arm heals up, you'll need to go home." She stated, punctuating her words with a bite of her ham.

Link looked down and gauged his pain, deciding it wasn't too much. Looking back up, he formed his argument.

"No, I don't want to stay here. I'll go crazy being cooped up. Besides, distractions help me not to think about it. Let me go with you!" he pleaded, watching Annette look back at him, her eyebrow quirked up and she smiled to herself.

"I should have known you'd do this. Are you sure you would be okay riding all the way there and walking around a busy, loud town with your arm hurting like that? Possibly until nightfall? Because I think you…" she sighed and shook her head, her mind changing in the middle of her words . "You'd be miserable here, but you'd be rested. Knowing you, you wouldn't rest while I was gone anyway. If you want to go that bad, then you'll listen to me and not overdo it in town, got it?" she finalized, taking a sip from her coffee.

Link perked up, glad that he had gotten his way. He was sure she wanted him to rest, not wanting to feel bad for dragging him along, but he didn't want to be here alone. Besides, he had never been to Termina and he would hate to miss out on the experience.

"Just promise me one thing. If you begin to feel really bad, don't hide it from me. Let me know so we can take a rest, okay?" she asked, her request was reasonable enough. He nodded and took his first bite of the ham, which was fairly good for something that he had cooked by himself.

With that, they finished their meal in peace and Annette went on and on about how excited she was to go to the candy shop.

Still, he felt heavy as he considered that the trip may be dampened by his injuries.


	10. Beedle's Bargain Bungalow

"This is Clock Town, as you can see, there is a big clock therefore, Clock Town."

Annette said boredly, motioning to a giant tower in the center of the town square. He could hardly hear her from where she sat on her horse, the bustle and noise of the town was loud in the midday foot traffic. One thing that was discernible among the racket of raised voices and distant music was a loud, echoing tick from the tower. It was so loud that it could be heard outside of the Clock Town walls. The day was warm and very few clouds littered the sky, so it would be expected that many people would be out, but he never knew a town could be this busy. He had never seen this many people, even in Castle Town.

They made their way through the town square to a horse stable for travelers, the sea of townsfolk parting the way, sending glares their way for interrupting their strides. In no time, Annette had booked a spot for both Cordial and Epona, giving her stead a farewell petting. Link gave his horse another look to make sure she seemed okay in the stable before he followed Annette out into the busy streets. She was wearing orange baggy, Gerudo style pants, from what she had said upon leaving the house, and a black blouse tucked in.

"Keep close and watch yourself. There are thieves that lurk around everywhere here, waiting for someone to be careless. If you ever come here alone, dark alleys at night are not your friend. Just a word of advice." she spoke to him, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him near to her in the crowd. He pressed his lips together, knowing that she meant well but she was vastly underestimating his ability to take care of himself. He felt bad for anyone who would attempt something in a dark alley that he was in. Still, the brunette held her parcel bag close to her side, and his arm with it. The concept of watching his pockets was new to him, as everywhere he traveled before was safe and most people had good will.

Through the crowd, they ventured to a nook of the square where several shops were nestled. Annette looked up at the signs, squinting to combat the sunlight that was flooding the square.

"Ah, yes. Next to the "rat's" place. I wonder how much of a discount he'll give." she muttered more to herself than to him, her hand falling from his arm.

"Rat? What are you talking about?" He questioned, the area near the shops were less crowded so he didn't have to shout over the converging voices. Annette looked up and smirked, lifting her hand to point at a general store on the corner.

"That's Zania's competition and she calls him a "rat" because his prices are lower than hers and she hates him. Beedle is actually a friendly guy, but Zania and I would engage in a fistfight if she knew I went into his store." she said and mused for a moment, her fingers caressed her chin. Then with a spark of mischief, she looked up with a grin. "Wanna go check it out?" she offered, her eyebrows arched up. He nodded, intrigued by her rebellious action against her friend.

Even though it wasn't much, it still felt like he was helping her break the rules and it was amusing. She beamed happily and grabbed his arm again, dragging him along to the storefront. Upon opening the door, the scent of incense and perfumes tickled his senses and he was almost overwhelmed by the clutter of so many things in the shop. Many tables were piled high with various items ranging from region to size. The windows of the shop allowed the screened sunlight to filter in and reveal every item. In the back of the shop were piled boxes and barrels of stock. The thing that interested him most was behind the counter, where an assortment of arrows and a shield lay.

Annette migrated to the tea set that sparkled in the sunlight and he took his opportunity to look over the arrows. Wrapped in ribbon were bundles of arrows, which he counted silently to see that each bundle was ten arrows. The man at the counter perked up as Link approached, his round eyes and large nose were defined and he was certain he would be able to pick him out of a crowd. His middle part and freckles couldn't be missed either. Taking no pause, the man perked up and welcomed Link in a cheery voice.

"Hello, welcome to Beedle's Bargain Bungalow, Let me know if you see anything that interests you! I see you're a new face, so I'll tell you that our new dynamite powder will knock your socks off!" the man explained excitedly, a giggle punctuated his sentence. Link was immediately drawn in, if dynamite powder functioned like a bomb as he got from the name itself.

"Dynamite powder? How does it work?" Link asked, his eager voice got the better of him and he heard Annette sigh from behind him. Ignoring her minute input, he turned his focus towards the shop keeper for an explanation.

"You can use it one of two ways. You can spread it on the ground in a trail and light one end with a match and watch it burn all the way to the end or you can pour a pile of the powder and light it on fire and kaBOOM, a big explosion! Please know the Beedle's Bargain Bungalow is in no way responsible for the injury or damage caused by this product and we hold no liability for any consequences Fifteen rupees a sack!" in Beedle's explanation, Link was already concocting ways to use the powder with his other weapons. A fire tornado when and if he got the gale boomerang back would be all he could ask for. Link nodded, acknowledging Beedle's spill, but taking a step back. He didn't have any rupees so there was no reason in getting too eager yet.

Instead, he resorted to giving a thankful wave and joining Annette where she was gathered around an assortment of instruments and such including cases, straps, and polishing supplies. She was looking over at a bow for a violin, it's mahogany polish gleamed in the low light of the shop. She gave a satisfied hum and placed it down, moving to the next one. He too looked at the assortment of items and a collection of wind instruments laid in their respective sections. There was one odd looking instrument littered with holes, the label above it read _ocarina_ and he was curious.

Picking it up, he turned it over in his hand and looked it over, yet something close by caught his eye much more than the ocarina. A pan flute laid and it was the only one among the other instruments, the wood pipes curved and were held together with several strands of colored twine, the dark brown, orange, and blue reminded him of Ordon. Annette looked over at him as he picked it up, her hazel eyes recording his actions. After a fleeting moment, she turned her attention back down. With that, he lifted the flute to his lips, without thinking much about the sound it would make, and blew into the flute. The tone sounded out and broke the silence, drawing the attention of the shopkeeper.

"That one is rare! It's only fifty rupees here, but any other place would charge much more." Beedle informed, before going back to organizing some items behind the counter. His eyes didn't leave it as he set it down and looked up to find the brunette biting the inside of her cheek, her eyes darted from him to the flute. Giving him a knowing look, she turned and made her way to the counter, whispering something in a hushed tone. He didn't hear what she had said, but as he joined her at the counter, the conversation progressed.

"Well, Miss Annette, if you would let me sell your jams here, it would just make me so happy." he said, a fond giggle escaping him as he leaned forward on the counter, chin propped on his palm.

"Thats… I'm sorry, I'll be disowned if I do that, you know. I already have a place that I'm selling my jams and that place is quite jealous." she explained, and Link knew she was talking about Zania. Beedle laughed in spite of himself.

"That's a shame. I know that I would give you a higher percentage of the profits, but you can't betray your friend. Unless you just don't tell her?" he said, his cheery tone clashed with his persuasive words. Annette gave him a challenging grin, her nose crinkled a bit.

"Yeah? That would be an ace plan if Zania was deaf. Besides, Zania does a lot more for me than just a little more profit. But nice try." she said, her voice dripped with a tinge of bitterness, yet could have come across as being teasing. Link had heard the difference and knew it at this point.

"Oh well, that's a shame then. I would have loved to sell your jams so much, but all I can do is try." he said, straightening himself up.

"Hmm" Annette began, her voice hinting at some overblown idea that she perhaps had been planning the whole time. With a knowing grin, she leaned forward as if to tell a secret and Link too leaned in, wondering what she was up to.

"You could still sell them. I have honey strawberry jams today, which as you know are a specialty and are rare. But I don't want a percentage." she goaded, her eyebrow arching. Beedle's eyes widened in excitement, but his glee soon faded when he realized there was a catch. He folded his arms defensively.

"If not a percentage, then how much are you asking for them?" he inquired and straightened up, giving a wide smile.

"For five of my super rare, specialty jams? I think that perhaps fifty rupees and three bundles of arrows will suffice. I'll pay for the dynamite powder because I'm nice like that. What do you say?" She said coyly, her deal laid on the table. Beedle gasped and leaned forward, his arms falling from his chest.

"For five jars? That's…." he thought about it for a moment and sighed aloud, "You drive a hard bargain but those jams will bring several people straight to my counter." He huffed and his smile returned. "That's a deal!"

"I knew you'd think so! Great, so…" she motioned and he took the hint and gathered the arrows, dynamite powder, and rupees together for her in a bag. She pulled fifteen rupees out for the powder and graciously took the bag of supplies triumphantly. Like promised, she pulled the five jars from her parcel bag and set them atop the counter. Beedle all but drooled as he pulled them back on the counter towards him.

"Thanks for the deal, Miss Annette. This is greatly appreciated." Beedle said, beaming and chuckling to himself."

Annette responded with a dismissing wave and swung the bag out towards Link, her mischievous smirk further proved her manipulation tactic was planned and not at all spontaneous. He looked at her, amazed that she was able to pull that off, he himself had tried to make a deal before with other merchants, only for them to laugh him off and for him to pay full price in the end. For someone who could be so rude with her words, she was clever.

"Here you go! Don't think that I don't pay attention, but be warned, if you catch my house on fire with that powder, I'll strike a bargain for your tombstone." she jested, glowing with satisfaction. He took a breath and took the sack, peering in at the arrows and promising dynamite powder, his excitement rising.

As they approached the door, Annette covered her face and giggled into her hands, pulling the door open. She looked up at him and he knew she had done something she shouldn't have.

"Zania is going to skin me, Link." she said, her laughter cutting through the background noise outside of the store. He gave her a look, wondering if it was just because she dealt with Beedle or if there was another reason.

"Why? Because you made him a deal? Surely she won't-" she cut him off with a laugh filled response.

"Those were the only five honey jams and she is gonna convulse when she knows that Beedle has them." She had to take a breath and wipe her eyes as she calmed. He wasn't sure why, but he too found himself laughing, more from being nervous and out of the feeling that he had helped Annette with mischief, even though in general it wouldn't be so bad. But then again, the few times he had met Zania he was convinced that she was one to blow things out of proportion.

With no more than a few sparse giggles, Annette put them back on course taking to the street to the tailor shop just next to Beedle's Bargain Bungalow.

* * *

Annette took the discount at the tailor's shop for his tunic to be patched up. He really appreciated it but he noticed the entire time Annette got things settled at the tailor's her smile faded more and more. She excused herself and told him to wait there, which he did and enjoyed looking around the tailor's shop at all of the clothing that hung on racks and were displayed on mannequins. He wondered what had her running out of the shop.

When she returned, she had two bags. Her explanation covered one bag, but not the other one.

"I felt bad so I went out to get Zania's favorite spice to make the soup she likes. It's a Hylian spin on a Gerudo dish and it's incomplete without this so I'll make it for her when she gets back from her trip." her response explained why she had seemed down after leaving Beedle's shop. Tucking the bags into her parcel bag, he was still left to wonder what was in the second bag and why she insisted that he stay alone at the tailor.

In no time, however, it was forgotten when they left and made their way along the street to another area of the town, a bustling marketplace full of fresh fruit, a deli, and other commodities sold under small booths spread out in the square. Annette gestured in a certain direction and they walked up to a booth that sold bread and other baked goods.

"What I wouldn't give for some garlic bread, Link. See anything you like?" she asked, rummaging through a basket for what he was led to believe was garlic bread. He looked around and a certain type of bread caught his eye. He read the label and discovered that it was a cinnamon swirl with chocolate chip bread. Annette looked over, garlic bread in hand as if she were holding up a prime catch from a fishing trip. Spotting the cinnamon bread, she nodded more to herself than him.

"I should have known. You like sweets, right?" she said, more of a statement than a question. He looked down and gave a nod, feeling kinda embarrassed. "Cool, I can give you a nice dessert recipe but um… you might wanna get a friend to make it for you." she said, teasing at that morning's mishap with the biscuits. Just then, two women came walking by, speaking to each other rather loudly and normally Link would just chalk it up to chatter, but what they said was particularly interesting.

"I just can't believe he's selling that for that price. Who even knows what it is?"

"Yeah, it's doesn't look useful at all. He claims you can wear it on your arm like a gauntlet, but it's so ugly who would?"

"Especially with those pointy spikes on the end. He's lost it for sure."

Link considered for a moment what they were saying and he immediately thought of his lost clawshot. Could it be? If so, as Annette said, he was very lucky to just stumble across it. Annette stared at him, not realizing that he was looking past her shoulder at the passing women. Without explanation, he moved past her and towards the women.

"Excuse me, uh, can you tell me where you saw the thing you're talking about? The gauntlet thing?" he spurted out and the women turned towards him, both giving him disgusted and offended looks for eavesdropping and interrupting them.

"You mean the ugly gauntlet thing?" The first one corrected and her friend turned and giggled to her. "Sorry, why do you want to know? You couldn't afford it anyway. No one can at those prices." before he could explain himself, Annette was already at his side, garlic bread forgotten.

"Just answer the question. It's not up to you whether or not he can afford it." Annette spoke up, her tone harsh and commanding. Not the way he would have handled it for sure, but he wanted to see where it went.

"Oh yeah, I know about you. I doubt even the cheapest things would keep your hands off, from the rumors I hear." the second woman said, her aloof expression made Annette take a deep breath. Link looked between the stranger and the brunette but could get no further explanation. No matter, Annette rolled her eyes and went on.

"Look, I just want to know where it is. It won't inconvenience you to tell us." she said, faking friendliness. Link noticed that Annette was clenching her teeth under her smile. But not for long as the first girl huffed and rolled her eyes, her defenses dropped.

"Fine, okay. It's at Marty's." she answered, her voice sulky for having to tell. Obviously, it was not the high point of the town as Annette groaned and the other women nodded. With a quick thanks, Annette ignored the women and they went on their way.

"So Marty might have something of yours? That's not good." Annette asked and Link nodded, but was certain he could get it back. Besides, he was willing to do anything and it wouldn't be the first time he jumped through hoops to get something for someone or do something hard for something that he needed.

Annette led him out of the area and to a store on the border of the square. Link kept his eyes sharp, looking around for any indication of something he was without. From the description, he was certain it was his clawshot.

They approached the store and with hesitation Annette pushed the wooden doors open, a long row of counter space showed various odd items lining down towards the counter in the back. Most things looked like inventions that didn't quite work and were falling apart and others were broken and modified weapons. Screws, pins, sword hilts, bowstring, and other miscellaneous parts filled metal barrels and dared to overflow. The walls were littered with shelves of jars that held fluids that contain things that Link couldn't place. On the opposing wall, monster heads were mounted among other beasts. One, in particular, were wolves, their faces twisted into snarls. Link felt his stomach turn at the sight. The place looked like it was filled with junk, but had something to offer for someone looking for a spare piece of something.

In the back, there was a workbench and a smith with various tools laid in a messy array on the solid, stone ground. Hunched over something with a magnifying glass, a stout, balding man observed something alarming familiar. Link made his way past the brunette and to the man, who barely noticed their arrival, busy humming to himself. Scooting behind the front table, Link leaned forward to see that the man was in fact examining his clawshots, both of them. He was even luckier!

The man, without looking up, spoke up to Link directly.

"You know this device, don't you? Had you lost it?" he asked, and Link was taken aback. Before he could answer, the man continued. "They say that devices like this are very old and I can tell that it is not from this time. It has been lost and locked away and only someone who was very determined could have found something like this." He said and took to his feet slowly, turning towards the blonde slowly.

Link sized him up and he was a man short in stature but he looked like he worked a hard job, his large arms littered with burns. Must be a smithing side consequence. The man had a draping beard that began just under his chin, yet the top of his head was shiny as ever. His eyes gleamed.

"But, only someone stupid could have lost this, so it's mine now and I'll only accept 5000 rupees for it." he said definitively, placing his hands on his sides. Link let that sit for a moment and cursed in his mind, hating how unfair that was. There was always something that could be done in exchange, always an angle. If Annette could do it, he could too.

"What if-"

"You are the one they speak of, aren't you? The one that slain that evil king in Hyrule field? If you are, then I have a proposition for you instead of a price." the man interrupted, his face twisted into a hopeful grin. Link gave a glance to Annette, who motioned for him to come over to her. He gave another look at the man and joined her as she led him out of earshot of the man, who looked on from his spot. She pulled him down to her and whispered in his ear.

"This guy is a nutcase and he's been reading too many old fairy tales about the past. He's delusional. You don't have to indulge him if you don't want to. I might know another way to get it back, but you won't like it at all." She began, her words brushing against his ear.

"Why wouldn't I like it?" he asked in a low voice, but he knew it was probably something that he himself would never do. She closed her eyes for a moment before explaining.

"You wouldn't like it because I know someone who might be able to get it for you, but it will be illegal. I don't want to, but if you really need this, I can ask." she said, her words coming out slow. He was silent and made a quick decision.

"Let me figure out what he's asking for and then I'll decide. Thanks for warning me." he stated, and she exhaled and looked away, muttering a response that sounded like _it was nothing_. He looked back to Marty, who was waiting patiently for their private conversation to come to a close. With a moment to gather himself, Link formed his question.

"What are you proposing?" he asked, and the man perked up with excitement. He rushed over to the clawshot and scooped it up. He offered it to Link, much to his confusion. He thought the man had a condition?

"Please, show me how to use this! Then I'll let you know my proposition." He blurted and Link took the clawshot, it's weight did nothing good for his left arm, so he switched it to his right. He held it out and in a silent demonstration slipped it on his arm, all the way to his elbow.

"There's a switch in the inside, right where your fingers should reach. Pull it down and the claw will be shot towards where you aim it. It is spring loaded, so it will immediately retract." Link explained as best he could, the man watching in awe. He aimed it across the room, towards the front door, hoping the distance would aid him when he pulled the lever. Annette too looked on with curiosity, any cynicism absent from her face.

His fingers curled around the level and he pulled it, the claw launching out from its base, the sound of rattling chains filled the silence. His hope had failed him and from across the long room, the claw still reached the wooden door, it's sharp metal prongs crunched into its surface with a crack. Before he realized his error in judgment, he was launched across the room, his heels trying to make traction on the ground to regain some control. In any other circumstances, this would be just what he wanted but he knew what would happen if he wasn't using his clawshot to get to some high place. Just as he anticipated, he slammed into the wooden door and fell over, the clawshot still lodged in the wood.

Groaning, he sat up, recovering from his hit, which luckily had no real consequence on his broken arm. Looking up, he saw that the man had not moved from his spot and Annette stared at him with shock, her mouth hung open. With a tug, he dislodged the claw from the door, with it breaking off a hunk of wood.

Annette, once able to shake her shock away, rushed over to him, falling to her knees where he had sat up.

"Oh my goddess, are you hurt? That looked like it hurt." her face paled, if possible, and she reached out to tug the clawshot from his arm, setting it aside. Without asking, she pulled his right arm towards her and looked at his hand and arm in a quick one over.

"That was…" she cracked up, her worry vanishing with her nervous laughter, "...the dumbest thing I've ever seen." her words marred by her snort, she fell back off her knees and onto her butt. He tried to shake away his frustration, but it flared. Pushing himself up, he felt his face grow hot with embarrassment and he scooped the clawshot into his grip. Annette's laughter faded, and she looked up at him.

"Oh, are you mad? I didn't mean to upset you but that was a spectacle. Just look at the door." she said, her humor still laced in her voice. He looked at the door and immediately felt guilty. Taking the clawshot up towards the front, he heard the woman shuffle to her feet.

The man looked at him, his eyes wide as Link came back to the counter. Link shyly handed him back the clawshot, closing his eyes ready to have the man yell at him about the door. The next thing that came from the man was certainly loud, but not scolding.

"That was the best thing I've seen in months! How did you learn to use these! I wonder if I could make a replica for myself!?" he yelled in excitement. Link's eyes cracked open and he felt his guilt wane.

"I'm sorry about the door…" he began and the man interjected.

"Don't be! I have a cool story to go along with it! Besides, I would have never figured out how these things work without you showing me." his mood had shifted and Link thought back to what the brunette had said about the man reading fairy tales.

"So, the proposition? I need those back as soon as I can get them." Link said, hoping his impatient feeling didn't show in his tone. The man looked back at the other clawshot and sighed, realizing he would have to part with them if Link succeeded in whatever weird thing he was going to ask of him. The blonde waited and the man finally spoke after some thinking.

"My daughter made me a hat and I put all of my fishing lures into it, one of which was rare. It blew away in the wind and landed on top of the clock tower. I miss my hat so much and I want it back so when I found these, I thought I could use them to get my hat back, but my arms can't fit inside because I'm too muscular. If you could take one of these and bring my hat back, I'll give you back the other one." He proposed, and it was a reasonable request. Link had been asked to do harder things.

Glancing back at Annette, who was returning to her place behind him, he gave her a nod and she returned it, their silent communication doing well enough. He had made up his mind.

"It's a deal. I'll get your hat back."


	11. Hot Tea

Straining her neck, she looked up and shaded her eyes from the sun. The tall clock tower loomed over the town and its shadow stretched far across the square. Squinting her eyes, she could barely make out the fishing hat, which was in a nook beside a bird nest. The clock face read four, the afternoon sun was enough proof that it was on time. Taking a breath and letting the air woosh out, she lowered her sun blocking hand and looked at Link, hoping to find any indication of what he was thinking.

He too had his neck craned back, sizing up the tower. He wore the clawshot, getting the occasional odd glance from a passerby. His left arm rested at his side and she was sure he was hurting by this point. Just after leaving Marty's, he began to guard his arm more and he would wince any time he would bump into a townsperson. He hadn't said anything, but she already knew. She had planned on taking a break and certainly didn't see that using that dangerous weapon on his arm would do him any favors. Still, he was stubborn and she kept mindful that she needed to let him make decisions without her fuss to be projected on him.

They had already gotten together the groceries and traveling gear that she needed and placed them in the saddlebag with Cordial in the stables, where she imagined they would be safe. Yet, she still had one thing in her parcel bag that she hadn't yet put up. She didn't know if Link suspected anything or not, but regardless of him being oblivious or suspicious, she had bought the pan flute that he was drooling over. She hoped he would like it and that she hadn't mistaken what she thought to be fondness for simple amusement. When he would return home, he would have a flute to play to keep himself company and also a souvenir from Clock Town, or so she reasoned.

Watching Link look around the area, Annette felt the pan flute in her bag and thought that a late lunch or early dinner out would be a decent time to surprise him, if he didn't know already. Giving another quick look at the impossibly high up hat, she decided to finally give her input.

"You know, it's not too late to go back and tell Marty that he'll just have to buy another hat. Are you hungry because I'm getting hungry? Oh, I know a good place we can-" she was cut off by Link, who she believed hadn't even realized she had been talking. He was focused on a grate above a shop door pediment.

"I found the angle. I'll be right back." he said, more to himself than her. She gave him a look of confusion.

"Wait, huh? Where are you-" once again, she wasn't able to finish her sentence, Link raised his arm to aim at the grate.

Before she could say anything or even properly react, the click of the mechanism launched the claw towards the grate. In the second that it took to latch onto the grate, the blonde looked back and gave her a small wave. In an instant, he was jerked forward and to the grate, hanging there for a moment. Expertly, he swung his leg up to the edge of the pediment and pushed himself up from it and onto the roof, which was just above the grate. Pulling himself up and dislodging the claw, he shambled onto the roof, taking to his feet. The thinned out crowd in the square was alight with gasps and hasty whispers.

Annette looked around and saw many eyes look her way. Giving a nervous laugh in spite of herself, her attention turned back to the man on the roof. She had doubted for a moment that he was able to properly use that thing, his stunt in Marty's was classically bad and she had to admit it worried her. However, without a doubt, she was disproven. With another steady aim, he used the tool to once again launch himself up to the top of the clock tower, coming to hang just above the hat. Using the same maneuver to pull himself up, he kneeled on the edge and aimed the claw down to the hat, using it to fish the hat right to his grasp in an instant.

Annette stared and her relief and awe faded when she realized he had no way to get down. Now what? She wanted to yell up at him, but she wasn't sure he would be able to hear her. Antsy, she found herself pacing around, but she didn't have time to dread or plot on how he could down. No, he did what she didn't expect and she small crowd that had gathered to watch gasped.

He leaped from his ledge and slid down the curve of the great clock, it's smooth curve allowing for him to slide down quickly. Once to the side, where the curve winded to the underside of the clock, he took aim at a drainage grate on the bottom of the great clock. In a second, the claw took its hold and he swung down to the brick street, just feet from where she stood.

To say she was surprised was a vast understatement. She was _mortified_ and she didn't want to know what would have happened if he had slipped up or missed. It was incredible what he did, but she wasn't sure if her heart would ever start again.

Tugging the claw from the great, any danger from a fall omitted as he was now safely on his feet, the group huddled around clapped and cheered as if it were some street production for the carnival of time or something. It only made Annette feel worse, the danger she saw and felt seen as nothing more than some grand act by the crowd.

Looking at the crowd of people, Link rushed over to her and held the hat up in his left hand, a smile on his face as he panted softly. However, she didn't miss his strain. His arm felt that stunt.

As he realized that Annette was not in the least bit amused or relieved, his smile fell and with it the hat to his side. She was speechless and upset and she almost felt sick. She could tell Link was put off, his eyes lowering and his panting began to cease. She let out the breath that she had been holding and in a weak voice finally spoke.

"I hope you're happy with yourself. That scared me. Do you ever think before you do things like that? What if you made a mistake? Then what would I do?" her voice was strained and she closed her eyes and took a breath, hoping to will away her residual panic. He lifted his hand up to her shoulder and she moved away, exhaling in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves. "Let's just go get the other one now that you have the hat." His guilt took over whatever satisfied expression he had before and she felt bad, but considering she had yelled and freaked out, she considered her strained words to be good. Because if she were any less shaken that she felt, she would have been very angry and yelled. She didn't feel like yelling right now. She just wanted her heart to flip right side up again in her chest. Link's hand retracted and he fiddled with the hat in one hand, the clawshot still worn on his arm.

Stepping away from the eyes of the onlookers, she led him back to the junk store where Marty resided and waited for his hat.

* * *

With both of his clawshots in hand, Link's joy and relief for having them back was smudged by the weighing feeling of disappointment he felt. Any other time, doing what he did to get the hat back would be second nature. He had done far more dangerous things with his clawshot. Dangling over lava, using one to shoot an archer while he fell and had to use the other to avoid falling to his death, pulling a dragon down from its flight. But he had never had anyone question his method, to act like Annette had when he landed.

Sure, he expected critique or a harsh, sarcasm laced response to what he did without telling her.

He did not expect silence.

She hadn't spoken since then and now she stood outside Marty's store, reaching her hand out. For what, he didn't know.

"Clawshot. You don't need to carry both. I'll put one in my bag, or both if you want." she said, her voice had almost returned to normal, but she still had a far away look.

He wanted to argue, but for two reasons he didn't. His arm was hurting him and he knew very well he had overexerted himself and also he didn't want to upset Annette even more. He was starting to get that her bossy demands were just ways to help him out and that she wasn't trying to belittle him as some child. No, she was just stubborn and didn't want to admit that she wanted to help him. He knew she was worried before, but not just because she would have to deal with the consequences of the aftermath of his mistakes. No, she was worried for his well being and he began to wonder if she, despite having a great deal of fuss, would care what he did to inconvenience her. Other than being reckless, that was for his sake, not hers.

She didn't understand, however, that out of everyone to worry about, he was the last one she should. He wasn't supposed to be that burden, but only to bear it. That's what he knew and that's what the ethereal mark on the top of his hand told him.

Still, he found himself handing the double clawshot over to her, who sighed and placed them one by one into her bag, carefully placing them together. Zipping the parcel, she looked up and feigned a smile.

"So, are you getting hungry? We should leave soon to avoid nightfall from creeping upon us, but I thought it would be much better to leave full. What do you think?" She questioned, her voice still more quiet than usual, but certainly not like it was earlier.

"I think that would be a good idea. What's your favorite restaurant?" he asked, the thought of food was very appealing to him. All he had today was the ham he managed not to destroy this morning and a bite of bread in the deli. Annette took a moment to think over it before answering.

"There's a really cozy homestyle cafe that I enjoy. They have a lot of comfort food and they even serve a Gerudo dish… not that it matters, but overall it's a good one. Besides, they have a good selection of teas and the atmosphere is nice." she said, looking to the side as she recalled the details.

"Sound good to me. I'll let you order for me because you probably know what the best dish is." he said, hoping to get her to think positively. The brunette gave a soft chuckle in response.

"Alright! Then we'll go there. It's just a street over." she stated, and led him by his arm, but there was no need like earlier. The crowd had thinned out and the sun was no longer in its peak, slight touches of orange touching the sky as it paled from it's blue. He didn't mind because he took it as a way of saying she wasn't upset with him.

In no time, they arrived at the cafe, which had outdoor seating and red and orange paper lanterns that were suspended by a draping cord. The lights were dull in competition with the still present sun, but their glow was still noticeable. Annette's mood began to change as she entered the front doors, holding them for him. There were drapes on many of the windows, save for just one, so the inside was shaded and dark, lit by torches on the walls that bathed the tables and chairs in an orange glow, which clashed with the more blue light of the outside.

It did look cozy.

He realized never in his travels had he taken time to visit any of the restaurants in Castle Town. Just coming into Telma's bar for a chat didn't count, as he had never ordered anything for himself. Picking the table by the window, Annette made a beeline to the chair that she wanted and sat down, the menus already laid out for the next customer. There was only one other table taken, which held a group of friends who chatted amongst themselves. Taking a seat, Annette handed him a menu to look over, the leather binding on the outside was weathered with prior use.

"I can still order for you if you want, but I think giving the menu a look in case you change your mind is good." The brunette spoke up, looking happily over the menu.

The lighting through the window changed as they had their meal, Annette waiting for her bill to come to her. She took a sip of the tea she had ordered, humming to herself at the flavor. Link was full and his food was very good, having ordered for himself in the end instead of letting Annette pick. He wondered what she would have picked, but either way he was happy. Setting the teacup down, and giving a glance out the window at the steadily darkening sky, she began to speak.

"You know that we came here today to get your tunic in shape and I'll have to return in a few days to get it back. If you rest up, perhaps you'll be in shape to travel back to Ordon. With the travel supplies I got, you can set up a tent if you need to. I'll travel with you, if you want, to help you out and make sure you don't get into any trouble." she said, a smirk returning to her face. He was happy to see it. But she looked down and had more to say than that. Reaching down to her bag, she pulled something from it and hid it under the table.

"So, because I don't know if you'll ever be back, and as a good luck charm I suppose, I got you this as a souvenir." she continued, smiling as she pulled the pan flute from under the table and held it out to him.

He stared, surprised. She had watched him pick it up at the shop and then left… to get it. He understood now. He felt bittersweet as he took it in his grasp, wondering if he deserved it. Yet, he knew he would hold onto it for as long as he could.

"I can't believe you… thank you. You didn't need to-" he was shushed by a wave of her hand.

"Now you can play as you ride so you don't get bored." she said, her smile shifting into something more serious. "In Termina, there's this legend everyone likes to recall. In this legend, a young hero dressed in green runs around and helps everyone he can, saving everyone who needs help all while playing an odd ocarina. We sell them here now and some people say that if a young boy dressed in green takes to an ocarina, we should all keep an eye on him. It's just a fun legend, a story to tell young kids, but I knew you were different when you picked that up instead. No one here would do that." she mused aloud, taking another sip of her tea. He already didn't know what to say, but the next thing that came from her really complicated any response he could give.

"I don't like to believe rumors or legends, but what Marty said earlier…" she started, her eyebrows furrowing as she formed her question. "Is it true that you're the same person that killed Ganondorf a couple years ago? There were so many rumors that went around and even Zania said you were the one that saved Hyrule. I didn't believe it at first, but from what has happened in the last two days…" she trailed off, studying his face for an answer to slip through his features.

He agreed that a lot has happened to her in the last two days. From her being so close to being condemned by his sword to him revealing his triforce mark to her and their small clash with the bublin boar rider. And then today, as full of activities as it had been. A lot for someone who didn't believe in the ancient legends to take in. Now she asks him if he was the one that killed the man who destroyed her childhood home, who had been a bane to all of Hyrule until he was slain by his own sword. Link's heart sank as he remembered all the damage the man had causes, from Midna to Zant and to all the surrounding area that was cloaked in twilight. And now, Link sat and accepted a pan flute as the injured hero who had seen Ganondorf die, but not perish.

He wanted so badly to say yes. To say that he had wiped the evil of that man from the ground and protected everyone. To say that he failed to kill him when Annette had been so kind and trusting in him. It hurt and he wasn't sure what to do. The knife twisting in his chest made his words clear as he tried to swallow. Annette's hazel gaze never left his as he began to tell the truth.

"Yes… and no. Two years ago, Ganondorf took so much from Hyrule, caused so much damage even though I was lucky in the end. A very good friend helped me get it together when the terror that Ganondorf cause hit me hard. With a lot of time and work, I was able to beat him in combat with help. I saw him die where he stood, his triforce fading away." Link began and the brunette hung on his words.

"That wasn't enough and I had no clue how much Ganondorf had above me… above us. I went home after that and I tried to help everything return to normal until…" he began and Annette finished his sentence in a way that basically communicated the idea.

"Until I found you washed up, half dead on a creek bank." she said, something that would normally be delivered with humor, yet only seriousness clung to her words. He nodded, but he wouldn't say _half dead_.

"He is dead. I saw him die, yet he is not gone. He appears where he wants to and disappears without a trace, like a phantom. What made me realize that he had returned wasn't the dreams that I had where I was warned, but when I heard that one side of Castle Town's wall had been blown down by some massive force. I was warned before this happened, but I ignored it. It's my fault and I need to make sure it doesn't happen again. That's why I'm so eager to get my stuff and go to him, even if I'm hurt." he finished and silence took the space of his explanation.

She was silent once again, absorbing what he had said. Instead of looking upset with him or angry, she was contemplative. The news wasn't kind on her ears, but he did it. He told her the truth.

"So you have hell on your shoulders." she stated, and he was silent. That was one way to put it, if ever he heard a way to explain it. "All the more reason you should rest up then and be patient with yourself."

"After I get him again, provided it works this time, I won't be patient anymore. I can't afford to. Anyone who has the triforce of power I'll have to watch and prepare for. I can't let this happen again." he said, clenching his jaw at the thought. Annette shook her head.

"You won't be able to do anything if you aren't patient with yourself. We all want change Link. We have to wait until we have the power to do something to change what we hate. Trust me, I know it's hard to watch as you rest." she said, her eyes stuck on nothing in particular outside the window. He wanted to argue that taking out a divinely strong force of destruction when he was the only one who could do it was different, but he wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"What change are you talking about?" He asked after some consideration. Annette, still looking out the window, took another sip of her tea.

"I want for people who are alone in the dark to be able to walk to their house at night without being robbed or harmed. I want to change this city and Gerudo too, to make it better. I can't do it alone, and if I tried, I'd end up buried. So I guess I just have to wait and hope like everyone else around here...everyone except for you." she said, lost in her thoughts, sounding almost mournful.

He looked at her and felt for her. His big issue was summed up to a particular thing, but she was looking at a whole city. He suspected she was referencing the thieves she had mentioned previously.

Just then, the front door of the restaurant slammed open and Link looked over his shoulder to see three men walk in, glaring past him and snickering to each other. He already sensed it was bad news. The one in the middle took the lead and strutted over to their table, passing Link. He gave them a wary look and the ringleader propped his arm on the table, leaning over towards Annette. Link didn't want to get involved in private business, but he already wanted these guys to leave.

"Say, I didn't believe it when I heard you came rolling back into town. I haven't seen you in a while. Whatcha been up to?" he sneered, his pals cheering and giggling behind him. The three all had on matching cloaks, black with silver embroidery on the sleeves. The one leaning on the table had short-cropped, dusty brown hair, one behind him a curly blonde poof of hair, and the third one long, scraggly dark hair and a crooked nose. They all looked a little young, perhaps around eighteen. From Annette's reaction, Link could tell that she also was already done with them, her crinkled nose said everything.

"That's none of your business, so cut the crap. What do you want?" She said sharply, a bold contrast to the way her tone had been for the past hour or so. Any softness or friendliness disappeared and her cold glare glanced up from the lip of her tea cup, the steam rising slowly.

"I heard you were the baddest in the whole town, but I don't believe it for a second. Why don't you show me, little miss strawberry, or has stirring jam made you soft?" he snickered, and the other two chimed in with _yeah_ and _good one_. Annette rolled her eyes and gave Link a look before setting her teacup down.

"Just what is it that you're trying to prove? Don't you have something better to do or someone else to harass? Go home, it's getting dark out." She said boredly, swirling the contents of her cup around.

"Oh it's getting dark out? You hear that fellas? It's getting dark out." he chided, in a mock girly voice and his two buddies joined in his exaggerated giggles. Link was getting tired of this, hating that someone would dare interrupt someone's dinner, let alone Annette. When the guy in the middle had his fun with his pals he turned back and gave Link a once over.

"As if night won't be even worse for you, only having this woodland sprite to watch your back." The man said, and the talk ended when he punctuated his statement with a quick slap to the back of Link's head, the impact catching him off guard. That's it. He was going to get involved now because if the stranger had the gaul to do that to Link, who knew what he would dare with Annette.

Link scooted his chair back, ready to defend himself, but Annette's tipping point had reached its limit. With a loud and furious growl, she jumped to her feet, the chair sliding back in a screech. She took the hot tea and flung it at the leader's face, the boiling water splashed over him and soaked him, the burning liquid aided by the bonus of the teacup shattering against his head. The man stumbled back and fell, hitting the adjacent table on the way down with a thud. He shrieked and wiped uselessly at his face, rolling on the tea soaked ground. With Link's primary target already down for the count, he whipped around to watch as Annette grabbed the chair and swung it with a crunch into the second guy, who was already coming at her in vengeance for his scalded friend.

The chair sent him tripping back, but the brunette didn't have time to prepare for the third one, who lifted her up and slammed her down on the table. Regaining his focus, Link prepared a punch and hit the man in the side of the head with as much force as he could. The man's grip was instantly released as he fell like a dead weight to the floor, knocked out. Link looked up to the scalded man fleeing for the door and the one that Annette hit with a chair gathering courage to strike back. One look at Link, who fell the one with a punch, and the curly haired guy ran off, scrambling out the door.

Annette, sliding herself off the table, the wind knocked from her, took to her feet panting. She hunched over and her hands reached to her back, a pained groan escaping her. Before he realized what he was doing, he rushed over to her and grabbed her shoulders, getting a good look at her to make sure she wasn't harmed more than a bruised back. There were no burns from the tea splashing or anything else. Relieved, he took a step back and surveyed the damage, nothing more than a broken teacup and a wild puddle splayed on the tile.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt your arm?" Annette asked, rubbing her back and her pain was strained in her voice. Link clenched his fist, and yet the pain in his arm didn't bother him. He was too angry at this moment.

"Who were those guys?" he asked, staring at the door in case either of them dare to be bold.

"Just some asses that want to be tough and look for trouble. They do that all the time around here. That's why I say to watch your back." she answered, dusting herself off. Link didn't like that answer. He couldn't stand the thought that people like this got away with running around and hurting people. He shouldn't be surprised, but he had never seen that before, let alone being directly involved.

His mind recalled the teacup leaving Annette's hand and smashing the guy in the face. He didn't know she could be so fierce and he wondered if she would ever be like that towards him. No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't do that to him because he would never come at her like that.

He wondered if this was the reason she was so harsh all the time, always insistent on being cautious. If she had grown up here and was so nonchalant about it, then how often had it happened to her?

"Thanks for helping out there. I thought he was gonna break my back for a moment." she said finally, her breath returning to her. Gathering up her parcel bag and setting the chair back up, then looked around for the server to come back, who had been taking quite the time with her bill. "We should leave after this. I'm ready to sleep for a day." she said, a tinge of humor laced her statement, though it didn't help him a bit. How can she joke after something like this happened just moments before?

"I'm with you. I could use some sleep too." he admitted, following suit and opting to not bring up the situation that just happened. Besides, it wasn't the first time with her. "Little miss strawberry." he added, faking a smile. She scoffed and picked up his pan flute, which lay untouched on the table and placed it in his unassuming hand.

"Yeah, don't make me cringe." she responded, though she smiled to herself, her back forgotten.

They eventually did get the bill and Annette offered to mop, but they ended up just leaving anyway. Link practiced his pan flute on the ride back through Termina field and to Annette's house.

All the time, wondering if that sick, worried feeling he got for her was the same that she felt for him when he did something reckless. If so, he could understand the fuss she made.


	12. Canteen

Annette was laid over her horse, her arms dangling at the sides. The sun had set and they had been on horseback for over an hour. She was certain that a bruise had already formed on her back from being slammed into the table. Link hadn't said much after that, quietly playing his flute on the ride, exploring different songs that he knew. Several of them were so unique and she had never heard them, but when she asked where he learned them, he just responded that his mentor taught him and went back to playing. She had hoped that their outing would be a good one, and for several reasons it was.

Link had gotten his clawshots back, crossing off another item from the list. Seriously, she wished she had half his luck. They had no hitch in running errands and she was able to hustle some arrows out of Beedle, something she counted as a personal victory. But at the same time, the ache she felt from their little tussle in the cafe was enough to sour just a part of her day and she was certain Link was no happier about it than she was. She was still impressed that he knocked that guy out with a punch, yet she hoped for Link's sake that he hadn't overdone it.

One of the worst things, if she had to categorize, was learning that Ganondorf had not fully been vanquished. She almost felt silly, naive for thinking that such a hateful man could be snuffed out so soon. Yet, she believed the worst part of it all was the guilt smeared on Link's face as he had told her. As if he were to blame for the return of Ganon, when no one else dared to do anything about it.

It made her think on the horse ride, her doubts coming to full circle. Link's behavior was now fully explained.

What if, by insisting that he rest up and being concerned for his health, she was tampering with fate. Was his fate just to be a tool? A weapon? She wondered if she was doing the world an injustice by treating him like a person instead of a hero. Was that so bad? Still, she would feel to blame if he ran off and fell in battle because he didn't fully recover. She began to wonder if anyone from his home urged him to rest, insisted that he stay safe. He had never mentioned anyone and she realized that she had no clue what his life was like. She didn't know who his friends were or what he did outside of hurting himself. He had mentioned a friend once, but he never went into it in any depth.

The soft notes of the pan flute ceased and Annette looked up, seeing her house in view around a bend of trees, the gas lantern that she kept lit outside glowed a dull yellow. A beacon in the night. She was grateful to Cordial, who knew the way home and had led them their even in the dark. She was a smart horse and sometimes Annette wondered if she took her for granted. Evidently, Epona was equally as loyal, following along without diverging. Link hadn't exactly been tugging on the reigns, but his horse still knew where to go.

Putting his flute away, the blonde gathered himself and was ready to dismount his stead as they came to the small stables. Straightening up, Annette prepared herself to hop down and take care of both of the horses, but Link had beat her to it. Although the crescent moon didn't offer much light, she could still see the firmness of his face. He didn't look particularly happy.

"Let me board the horses. I'll be inside in a bit." He spoke quietly, and Annette could already tell that no argument could be made. He probably wanted alone time and she couldn't say anything against it. Without acknowledging his words, she took a breath and hopped down from her saddle, taking the accumulation of bags from the day's shopping as Link took Cordial's reins. With another glance at the blonde, whose back was turned as he headed towards the stables, she walked inside and set the bags down before she lit a lantern to illuminate the kitchen.

Busying herself with putting away the various bread, farm-fresh veggies, and smoked meats, she felt the exhaustion fall onto her shoulders and each movement strained at her sore back. She scowled to herself and put the kettle over a new flame, cherishing the heat of the burnt-out match in her fingers. Some tea and the cookies she had bought would help her to relax, she concluded, and sat at the round table waiting for the familiar whistle of her kettle, having to sit at an odd angle as to not hurt her sore back. Thoughts of the day spun through her mind as she got lost in thought.

Her heart dropped when she recalled the conversation at the restaurant, despite wanting to shake it from her mind. It wouldn't help her relax but no matter how she tried, it resurfaced again. Everything Gerudo had worked for in the past fifteen years to renew what had been destroyed by the evil king and now there was the possibility he could come back and finish his wreckage. It was the decision of the Gerudo people to ultimately have him executed, and she was sure that a betrayal like that wouldn't leave his mind.

She jumped when she heard the side door shut behind her and immediately felt silly for being startled. Under normal circumstances, in her fright she may have uttered some smart remark or insult but her scare drew attention to her back and she instead bit back a groan. The blonde gave her a look and glanced over at the kettle. Hoping that he wouldn't say anything, she opened her mouth to ask him if he wanted cookies, but he was quicker.

"Your back hurts doesn't it?" He asked, but from his inclination, she could tell he already knew. There was no way he could watch her get shoved into a table like that and not wonder if she was sore afterward, but she was surprised he brought it up. She looked at him in contemplation on whether or not she should admit that it hurt or just chalk it up to being nothing more than a little bump.

Scoffing aloud, she got to her feet and slid the chair under the table as she headed to the counter to fiddle with a teacup, as if preparing it further.

"Of course it hurts. It will be sore for a few days, but I'll be fine. Now, do you want tea and cookies or should I count you out?" She answered short and anything but sweet, but she didn't want sympathy for it.

There was a moment of silence and she wondered if she should have been more sensitive, yet the blonde behind her spoke again, her focus on the teacup.

"At least tell me why those guys were looking for a fight. It can't be just because they were bored and "asses", as you put it." he asked, folding his arms and wincing a bit at the movement, his broken arm still bothersome to him. Annette shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. What was she gonna say now? After a deep breath, she began to give her vague, detached response.

"There are a lot of things in Termina to do and it is more dangerous than Hyrule is, especially Clock town. Let's just say that along with an unhealthy obsession with swords, my brother also had bad friends who unfortunately thought that by extension I was also their friend. Nothing more than a conflict of interests." She explained and was ready to shoot down any further prodding. She didn't want to get into it this evening and she was sure Link didn't want to hear it either. Their day had held enough bad news and foul situations.

"A conflict of interests, huh? I know about that but none of mine ever ended with smashing a teacup on someone's head." he said, and she could tell he was trying to deflect the mood. He gave her a little smile and then motioned with his hand. "Can I have a look at your back? It's only fair considering you're always on my case about my injuries." He said softly and she looked away, feeling guilty for being so harsh with him about his concern. It wasn't a bad thing that he wanted to make sure she was okay, so why was she so defensive? She couldn't answer it for herself. Since when was it okay for her to worry about him but be mean when he did the same? Under any other circumstances, she would be quick to accept her own hypocrisy, but she was too tired and felt they both needed to relax. Arguing over letting him help her wasn't on her agenda this evening.

"Fine, if you must. It's hardly an injury so you can't compare it to you." she began and then mentally scolded herself, finding herself do it again. "Thanks for your concern anyway." she concluded, hoping the addition would soften her statement. The swordsman approached and taking a cue, she folded the back of her shirt up for him to take a look. He hummed to himself in his inspection. "What's the status back there?" Bruise?" she asked, not really liking the uncomfortable judgment of her injury.

"Bruise." He confirmed. Before anything else was said, a prodding finger poked at her back and the pressure was a little more than uncomfortable. She took in a breath and was about to say something scalding before a question fell from him, "Does that hurt?"

"Of course it does! What did you thi-" she was cut off with another question, her sarcastic remark stunted before she could get into it.

"Do you have a canteen?" his question left her dumbfounded for a moment. Letting her shirt fall back over her bruise, she gave him a look.

"Canteen? What do you want that for?" She asked, as he looked over her shoulder at the countertops for what she assumed was a canteen. He, still searching, gave a small response as he stepped forward and began to rummage through the cabinets. She stood back and watched as he explained himself.

"For your back. Filling it with hot water and pressing it to your back will help some. I used to do that when I would go on journeys and got hurt. You'll see." he stated, things that he moved around clinked and clanged in the cabinets and Annette herself was trying to recall where she would have put a canteen.

"It's not really worth all the trouble, but I admit it is a nice thought. Knock yourself out." she resigned, giving an unseen wave of the hand as the kettle whistle began to rise in volume. As she pulled the kettle from its perch, she heard a quiet _aha_ from Link. He had found a canteen. As soon as he had found it, he spun around and took the kettle from her, not asking for it by any means. She huffed and waited for the kettle to return so she could make her tea, Link focusing to pour the boiling water through the mouth of the metal container. She was half expecting him to miss the mark and spill hot water on his hand, but he was accident-free.

With the canteen filled, he handed her the kettle and took a step back to secure the cap nice and tight. Without a word, he left the room to go fetch something and she, having never gotten an answer on whether or not he wanted tea, waited for his return as she stirred sugar into her drink.

Returning with a towel wrapped canteen, he presented it to her and all she could offer was a small thanks. With his care done, he tried to subdue a yawn and she knew what he would say next.

"It's been a long day, so I'm going to bed. What about you?" he asked, stopping in the kitchen doorway. Balancing her tea, cookies, and warm canteen in her hands, she shook her head.

"I don't believe I can sleep yet. You were up early so I bet you're beyond sleepy. Goodnight and thank you for the, er, canteen." she said, setting her cup and saucer down with a clink next to her armchair. He hummed in acknowledgment and almost looked as if he was going to ask her why. She settled herself down in her comfy seat, paying more attention to the call of her cookies than to whether or not he'd ask.

"Don't stay up too late." He said, finally, slinking off to bed, the sound of the door clicking behind him left her mind to shift into her thoughts. With some inspection of the canteen, the warmth nicely insulated in the towel, she decided it was worth a shot and placed it under her back, letting the warmth dwindle there.

Cherishing the tea and cookies, she could now cherish the steady warmth of the canteen as it helped her soreness fade. It was a different kind of warmth than that of evening tea because this time she hadn't done it just for herself.

* * *

The soft chirps of birds outside greeted Link as he stretched, pulling himself up to sit on the bed. Rolling his shoulder, he had decided that after some time of lying in bed and soaking in the comfort of the pillow it was time to get up. His injured arm was stiff and sore, but it was no where close to as painful as it had been the previous morning.

In his time of lying around, he had heard no clinks or thumps from Annette in the other rooms and he wondered again if he had woken before she had. Judging by the light that streamed in through the windows, the clear and bright light was not golden enough for it to be dawn. In other words, he had slept late. Taking to his feet, he continued to stretch his arms and the pain of his left was more bearable. A good sign.

Taking his arm as a signal, he pulled his shirt over his head and unraveled the bandages around his torso. Slowly but surely, they came off and he used the mirror to help him inspect his chest. The gashes were now healed and only in smaller, diminished spots were streaks of scabs. None that would be affected by movement. The bruises from the bublin incident by the creek were faded, yet still tinged his flesh blue and purple hues. The only thing that remained so clearly were new, pink scars and older, lightened scars from previous injuries. Part of him didn't mind so much the scars that littered his body, yet some of them still felt painful through the memories he had with them. They were earned out of dark times and harsh battles. One scar, in particular, was particularly soured by memory, as it was at Ganondorf's hand. A paled scar just under his collarbone.

Trying not to dwell on it too much, he happily threw the bandages aside and looked through the dresser and scrutinized the many shirts he had pushed aside of Annette's brother. Some of the things didn't match his style, if Link even had a style. He wore what he liked and it was that simple. Finding something suitable for his taste, he pulled a sleeveless blue Hylian style shirt on and brushed his fingers through his hair before casting a glance to his sword, which lay atop the trunk in the room. He had never opened the trunk, as he didn't feel like sneaking around when the brunette woman had trusted him without much effort. Taking his sword in hand, he made his mind up how he'd spend his day if he were stuck here until his tunic was tailored.

Stepping out of the room, he looked around the living room and peered into the kitchen, finding no trace of the brunette. He stepped to the window and looked out to where the stables were, her horse was present. Scratching the back of his neck, he stepped over to the door to her bedroom, where he had never entered. Giving a knock, he heard no response. After not enough deliberation, he cracked the door open and looked inside to find her bed absent. It was the first time he had ever looked in her room so he took a moment to give it a fair sight.

Her bed had not been made and she had an abundance of pillows. It was not a traditional bed, with a frame and bedposts like Nal's old room were, but rather more of a large round and fluffy cushion that was perhaps twice the size of a normal bed and it was decorated with pops of color and woven blankets. A yellow and red quilt covered most of it. If he had to guess, it was a Gerudo thing. He noted that with the number of pillows and cushions, it had to be cozy. Among the very odd bed, she had a vanity with loads of golden jewelry, wooden knobs held necklaces and earrings. Given that the odd bed took up nearly half the room, it was understandable that she didn't have more clutter, but he supposed that what the bookcase in the living room was for.

He reasoned that if she were not inside and had not left the property, she must be just outside. Stepping into the kitchen, he found a handwritten note on the kitchen table along with a cake in a glass cake stand. He picked it up and read the writing to himself.

_This is a gift from my mom. You can help yourself with a slice for breakfast or you can attempt cooking again with the smoked sausages that I bought yesterday. Of course, I trust you can make yourself tea or coffee if that's what you'd like. _

That was all that the note said and he was unsure if she was away or close by, as the note had not provided any answers. Maybe she had gone out with her mom for the day? But if that were the case, he would think that it would be in the note.

Taking it upon himself to figure it out, he placed the paper down and with his sword slung over his shoulder, he headed out the side door and into the side garden. Immediately, he was greeted with voices from a conversation just around the corner, but the tones were not friendly and mirthful. Given this, he felt more inclined to be careful and not just jump out and ruin an important topic between Annette and whoever it was she was talking to.

"But _vabai_, that's the problem. Apparently, it's not that easy. He described it as a "phantom", like some kind of spirit. I don't think that a normal army could do much." Annette's voice rung out and Link peered around the corner of the house to get a quick peek at the brunette. She sat at and ironwork metal table with a very tall and muscular woman. Her skin was darker than Annette's and she held her arms over her chest, a scowl on her face. She looked twice as tall as he was and her blazing red hair was pulled into a high ponytail. The oddest thing, if he could pinpoint, was the mundane and average Hylian style clothes she wore, a simple skirt and a loose top with flowing sleeves. She was scary looking and immediately the resemblance was clear. She was Annette's mom and they both had the same angry face.

Ducking back behind the corner of the house, he thought it best to turn back and go back inside, that is, until he became interested in what the larger women had to say. The rose bush provided a proper shield from anyone's eyes.

"Gah, how do you even know that boy tells you the truth? He may just be telling you that to escape responsibility. There is nothing that a well-aimed Gerudo spear cannot pierce." she said and he could hear the signature sigh from the brunette.

"No, mom, I don't think it's like that…" she trailed off before the topic shifted. "My main concern is our people. What if he comes back to ruin everything? He's not above holding a terrible grudge and if someone who has that sword couldn't stop him outright then… what are we going to do? I doubt the queen will listen to any warning like this, especially from an outsider like me." she said, her voice dropped.

Link knew exactly what they were talking about. He knew her reaction to him admitting Ganon's return wasn't as explosive as he thought it would be. He understood now. She didn't want to discuss it with him. Her worries were kept to herself. Taking a deep breath, he listened on.

"Oh, _vehbi_, don't worry about that. If he comes back, Gerudo can handle him this time. You should worry about the more pressing things, like that boy you have harbored here. He's too dangerous and he needs to go." she said, sharpness in her voice. Link held his breath. Was that true? He hadn't thought of it that way.

"Harbor? He's not a criminal. It's Link. I've only known him for a week, sure, but he's not dangerous to me. Every time I yell at him he looks like he's about to cry." she said, a chuckle from her pushed her point. That also wasn't true...was it? It was nice to hear her take up for him, but not like this.

"It may not be him personally that is dangerous, even though I still wouldn't trust him an inch, but it's what he has that's dangerous. That book is enough to keep in your home, but that sword? Honey, do you realize what Volmar will do it he finds you with it. I don't care how much of a soft spot he has for you, he'll kill you." her words were laced with a stern warning. Volmar? He didn't recall Annette ever mentioning that name. The thought of someone killing someone over his sword was awful and he felt his heart drop.

"He won't find out. Besides, Link will be leaving in a few days when his armor and tunic are restored and all I'll have to conceal is that book." Annette said matter of factly, but her mother continued on.

"I say you should burn that book and kick Link out as soon as you can. Don't speak to him after this, if you know what's good for you." she advised and he could visualize Annette's face, even though he couldn't see her.

"I can't just kick him out. Besides, it's just a few more days and-" her mother interrupted her

"Oh, you think he's your friend, huh? Friendly or not, boys cannot be trusted and he'll disappoint you one day. They all do." she stated and there was a small period of silence. What would Annette say to that? Link closed his eyes and listened extra hard.

"Yeah, I kinda see him as a friend, but I don't think I'm being careless. He's… not up to anything bad and I don't think he'd ever betray my trust." she said finally and her mother scoffed aloud.

She thought he was her friend? The thought had never really occurred to him, but he considered her a friend too. He certainly wanted her to be safe and feel content, so he wasn't surprised that she was a friend to him. However, he had a small impression that he was a bother to her and all she wanted was for him to leave. Not all of her actions said this, of course, but she may have just been nice about it, despite her usual rude exterior. He wasn't sure if it was reassurance or just the thought, but it was warming to hear that, even if he had to hear it from behind a rose bush.

"Oh, but you're not sure? You don't think he'd betray your privacy either do you? But let me tell you, I know he already has for sure." the woman paused and he could hear the sound of the chair slide back from the table.

What did she mean by that? Before he had a chance to figure it, a sharp and directed remark broke out from the woman.

"That Link is an eavesdropping little rat!"


	13. Sword Practice

Before she could react, the large Gerudo woman was already out of her chair and with her long arms she reached around the corner of the house and tugged Link into view. It was the first time she had seen Link look frightened, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. The brunette felt her anxieties rise and she too pushed her chair back.

"Don't pull him like that!" She exclaimed and her mom let go of his arm. Link took a step back at gave a wary glance at the former warrior. "Come on, mom, it's not like he meant to eavesdrop." she claimed in his defense, the woman folded her arms in response. She herself wasn't sure if he had meant to eavesdrop or not, but she would rather outright deny it for him than to have her mom pummel him. Besides, she liked to give Link credit regardless.

"No, Anne, he did. I heard him try to breathe more quietly as he hid behind the house." She said matter of factly and then angled her next statement at the blonde. "I hope you enjoyed your moment of voyeur, boy. Next time I catch you, I'll-."

"That's enough. He wasn't eavesdropping. Look." She paused and pointed to the sword slung over his shoulder, "He came out here to practice." Her conclusion disappointed her. While Link had been healing fast, she still wasn't sure if she liked the thought of him swinging around a sword right now. The blonde took in her words and adjusted his grip on the sword, his eyebrows pinching forward.

"Oh to practice, you say? That's even worse. Who knows what he's training to maim and for all we know it could be you. I think you need to-" Annette cut her short, her raised volume drowning out her mother's words. The woman shut her mouth and glowered at her for once again interrupting her.

"Oh my goddess, would you stop with that! I can handle things myself and-" the brunette was cut off this time, but not by her mom.

"I was eavesdropping but it wasn't to be nosy. I heard an unfamiliar voice and I wanted to make sure everything was okay." Link admitted and the Gerudo woman crossed her arms and directed her glare towards him. She tapped her foot and leaned down, her mocking tone followed. The brunette sighed and brought her fingers to her temples. She tried to get him out of it, but he had to speak up so now he'd have to deal with whatever her mom said.

"You wanted to make sure everything was alright? What a little saint. I don't buy it but at least you admitted you were eavesdropping." She began and Link shot Annette a glance. He nodded in response and the woman continued, leaning down to reach his level. "Oh, you're being bold? You accept the consequences of admitting your wrongs?" her voice was lowered in and her eyebrows arched up, hinting the worst. Link returned her look and they held heated eye contact for a moment. He nodded, reflecting the woman's fierce look.

Finding what she needed, the taller woman laughed aloud, straightened up. This was typical. Her mother always loved to bother people just to see how they reacted. Link's eyebrows furrowed and he gave the brunette a questioning look. She shrugged in return and her mom slapped the man on the back.

"You've got gusto. I think I might like you, Link." she chuckled out and the blonde looked more frightened by that than any cold stare. The Gerudo made a gesture at him for Anne which was her mother's way of saying she was finished picking.

"Ugh, that was hardly a test but I'm glad you're satisfied." Anne groaned and rubbed her eyes, dragging her hands down her face. She hadn't been awake long enough to deal with this right now.

"I'm Chotti, Anne's mother. I know your name and where you lived, so I will only ask where you trained." She introduced and Link was still trying to get over what had just happened. He looked to his sword and back at the Gerudo woman. Annette noticed that the scabbard was purple and gold and she hoped her mother wouldn't ask to touch it. She had already told her what sword he carried and how dangerous it was, but she still didn't even feel okay touching the sheathed weapon. Not after she had seen what it did to that bublin at the creek that day. Imagining how it would react with human flesh was cringe worthy.

"Trained? I trained by myself. I learned more from experience than I did from any training… well, except for one mentor. He taught me a lot." Link said and his eyes drifted down, as if recalling something. Yet again, she heard him talk about his mentor and yet there was not more about him. Annette listened and took a step towards the two, curious herself. She wondered if he would talk more about this mentor.

"So… you are a swordsman and yet you have not gone to a school or done extensive training? How can you be good?" she asked and Link gave Annette a look. "If you were to train the Gerudo way, you could be very good very quick but that is forbidden. When you are well, you can take me on in battle and I'll see for myself if you are any good."

"Okay, that's not…. Different question. We're not setting up duels right now. If you want to fight, take it out of my sight and out of earshot." Annette waved her hands in dismissal and her mother groaned, her fun being taken away.

"Okay, since we can't arrange duels, I'll ask a boring question. Link, are you settled?" She folded her arms and Link raised his eyebrows. Scratching the back of his neck, he gave a short response.

"Settled?" He questioned and Annette already knew where this was going. The Gerudo waved her hand whimsically to bring a different definition to her from the air.

"Yes, settled. How do you say it a different way? Married? Engaged?" her question settled on the blonde and he shook his head. The red-head frowned and closed her eyes, exhaling deeply.

"This makes me like you less, but you're not an issue yet." She stated and the swordsman gave her a look. She ignored it and yawned aloud. "Anne, honey, can you make me some warm tea? I'm tired from my travels and think a nap would make me feel better." She asked and Annette rolled her eyes.

"Of course mom. Insult my guest and then ask for tea. How polite." She half-joked and her mom leaned forward and pinched her cheek and put on a voice as if speaking to a toddler.

"Don't sass your mommy, young lady." she said with a laugh and turned on her heel, her long red hair swooshing over her back. "I'll be in the kitchen waiting but don't keep me too long." She called over her shoulder. Exhausted, Annette took a deep breath and exhaled through her teeth. She loved her mom but she was a lot to handle sometimes. Her cheek still hurt from where it had been affectionately pinched, if she could call it that.

The door swung shut and Link gave her a look and spoke aloud, his vague statement laughable.

"So that's your mom?" he asked, his lack of opinion made it clear what he thought already. She shrugged and motioned for him to sit with her at the ironwork table, taking her coffee in hand. Reluctantly, he followed suit and sat at the table, leaning forward.

"Sorry about that, Link. She is a handful and a lot of people who don't know her may immediately dislike her." She began and noticed Link nodding along, ready for more explanation. His blue eyes urged her on even if she intended to leave it at that.

"She was a soldier in Gerudo for so long she often forgets manners. Gerudo manners aren't the same as here in Termina or Hyrule. Because so many grew up in a military state, it was more important to get directly to the point and pleasantries were seen as boring or useless time wasters. Some of the shop keepers and innkeepers had more serviceable manners but most commonfolk only saw it as superficial. It was very different when I moved to Termina as a kid. I honestly thought everyone was trying to sell me something or butter me up before I realized that's just how it is here." She said with a laugh, reminiscing. Link pressed his lips together and nodded.

"That makes sense now." He said with a coy smile.

"Oh, come one. I'm not that rude… am I?" She questioned, seriously considering it. Link shook his head and looked down.

"You're a little harsher than I'm used to, I'll admit. No girls in Ordon would act like you do. But… I don't mind it. The honesty helps me feel a little more…" he trailed off, the word escaping him.

"You don't have to pretend with me. You won't hurt my feelings by saying that I'm crude. I know how I sound most of the time." she said and lost her point as well. "What I mean to say is… don't let my mom threaten you. She's harsh and likes to test people's patience but really, she means well. If you don't know what to say, return some quip or challenge her. She'll love it." Annette said with a short laugh.

Link looked down at his sword and sighed.

"I'm going to practice for a while. I need to do something until I get that tunic back or I'm going to lose it." he admitted and the brunette nodded. No argument could be made and she had been on his case all week about resting. It was time that she lay off and let him get his steam out.

"Okay, well I need to water my plants after I make tea for Chotti. They're all thirsty. Just don't let me distract you." She said and pushed her chair back, taking her coffee with her. Heading towards the kitchen, she cast a glance back at Link, who too slowly rose from his chair.

Taking a sip of her now cold coffee, she made her way inside to help her mother out.

* * *

With her mother inside taking a nap, Annette no longer had to be a host and decided on taking care of her garden while Link brought both of his swords out with him. The day was warm, yet not overbearing and hot.

Settling on watching Link practice, distracted from watering the plants around her house, she came to terms that she was too interested to be bothered with yard work. She remembered watching the soldiers when she was young prepare for battle and practice until they were blistered and could hardly move. Her mother was one of these soldiers, and while she saw her fair amount of practice sessions, Chotti would seldom bring her training home with her.

Link's training was much different than what Annette had witnessed as a child. He was self trained and she could tell by his focus and his particular method was very odd to her. Instead of swinging the sword around with any amount of flare that she would expect, he alternated between this waggling motion of bringing the sword back and forth over his arm and out in a strike and then bringing the sword down from above his head into a more direct strike. Was this a warmup? Would he get to the more… impressive stuff later?

Her confusion came from the absence of much else and she wondered if it was because she didn't understand sword fighting or if he was struggling because he was using his nondominant hand. Either way, she was unable to come to a conclusion and resorted to just watching in hopes that he would do something different. He paid her no mind and continued his same exercises and she set her watering can down and scrutinized from the side. Now that she thought of it, there wasn't much that he did traditionally that she had seen yet when it came to swords. She had never seen him in any battle and yet she knew that he carried his sword on his back, something very uncommon. Could he actually be good enough to wield the Master Sword?

She wondered this to herself and her thoughts must have been reflected on her features when the blonde cast her a look and let his sword lower.

"Is something wrong?" He asked and his voice snapped her from her silence. She shook her head and wondered if she should say anything, but her words left her anyway.

"Your training is very strange. You haven't changed it up at all yet and what you're doing is...well, stupid looking. I don't know what else to say." she said and then cleared her throat aloud. "I don't mean any insult… maybe I just don't know anything." she said with and a shrug and the blonde held her gaze for a moment before he gave a short laugh.

"You've never trained with swords, huh? I remember you said you were "useless with swords" but I just thought you didn't like them." He recalled and brought his sword up to rest against his shoulder. It was the Ordonian sword that he was practicing with, its beat up iron surface gleamed dully in the sunlight.

"I don't dislike them… and I can swing one around but any idiot can do that. I never really tried, if you want an answer." She admitted, yet left an important part out. It was true that she didn't dislike swords but rather hated most people that held them and maybe she was a little uneasy around them. She knew that the Master Sword for sure made her uneasy and after the day she watched that bublin disintegrate at it's touch, she wasn't too excited to handle it again.

Link looked down and gave his sword a look over as he contemplated something. Having found his resolve, he held the sword at its quillion and held the hilt out towards her.

"Do you want to try?" he asked and Annette stared dumbly at the sword.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't want to break it." She gave an excuse and he shook the sword in her direction again in offering.

"Of course. You won't break this one. Trust me" He said and the brunette reached out for it, her excuses were exhausted. Taking the sword in her hand, Link's grasp fell from it and the weight of the sword brought her arm down. It was way heavier than the Master Sword. Wrapping both hands around the grip she attempted to lift it up and was successful but only at holding it upright. There was no way she could hold this one straight out.

"Now what?" she asked, careful to keep the blade balanced or else it would drag her arms back down. Link took a few steps back before giving any further instruction.

"Swing it. Just like you would if something bad were coming at you. Don't over think it." he said, yet she had the feeling that this was merely for demonstration of how bad she was. Taking an additional step back, she prepared herself and brought the sword over her shoulder. Before the weight could affect her, she swung it around and the heavy weight of the sword immediately threw her out of balance. She took a step to the side and stabbed the sword down into the sod, as if rendering it safe. Link looked on in silent contemplation and she pressed her lips together.

"That one is too heavy for you." He made the observation and she was going to give some snarky remark before he leaned down to grab the purple and gold sheathed sword. "This one is lighter and it'll suit you better for right now." He said as he pulled it from the sheathe, the brilliant metal reflected the sky.

She was reluctant to take the sword and withheld her hand over the Ordonian sword.

"That's nice really but what if that one decides that it wants to er… destroy me on a whim? I think that the heavy one is okay for now." She said, trying to pull the iron sword from the ground and staggering back when its hold in the soil broke. Link lifted his brow and then he got it. A coy smile spread on his lips and Annette frowned.

"You're afraid of this sword?" he asked and she looked away, correcting him.

"Cautious, more like."

"Good. You should be with any weapon, especially this one. But being too cautious might be worse than reaching to grab it. This sword doesn't reward caution or arrogance. If you held it before and it didn't destroy you, then you'll be okay now as long as you feel the same way as you did then." He said and he took the Ordonian sword from her before placing it to the side. Once again, he held the hilt of the Master Sword out to her in offering and while his words were motivational, she still felt uneasy to just grab it. His expectant gaze held her accountable and she reached for the grip, but pulled her hand away again.

"You held it once, you can do it again. I know you can. This sword isn't that fickle." he reassured and her hand wavered again. She felt like she was being silly but it was really hard to trust that. How did he know what this sword would do, how it's magic could develop?

"Here, let's try this." He said and grabbed her hand and pulled it to the grip and Annette flinched and held her breath, but the cool metal brushed her fingers and the leather grip found itself in her grasp. Link's gloved hand still held hers to the grip and he had no intention of letting go until he knew she wouldn't drop the sword. Letting the held air woosh out, she grasped the sword and Link let go, the warmth over her hand disappeared.

"See? I told you." he said, taking a step back. "Now, swing it like you did before. I want to see how it goes with a lighter sword." He said and she took a moment to realize that it was much lighter than the other sword. It still had a decent weight to it, but it wasn't dragging her down.

Yet again, she brought the sword back and swung it around in an arc. It didn't destroy her balance but she was pulled by it and the tip did not stop where she intended for it to. Both of her hands grasped it, much like she had to for the other but the lack of room on the grip was proof that it was intended for single-handed use. She sighed and brought the sword down.

"I feel like I've offended the gods with that swing." she laughed in a short and nervous burst to herself. She knew it was off but she had no clue what she was doing wrong. Link covered his mouth with his hand, most likely to contain a laugh at her ineptitude. He inhaled and dropped his hand as he nodded. She couldn't blame him for being honest.

"There's a lot wrong with the way you're doing this, but that can be fixed. The first thing, you're holding it all wrong." He began and she looked down at it. She dropped her other hand so that it could be held as intended, or as she thought was right. She motioned to her hand and he shook his head.

"Okay, then how should I hold it?" she asked, turned the blade around in her hand to inspect the details on the hilt. He took a few steps towards her and grabbed the flat part of the blade to steady the sword in her hand. He motioned to her hand and began his critique.

"First, you have an iron grip. This doesn't give you much flexibility and it limits what the sword can do. Second, you're holding it too close to the pommel and that's no good. It's off-balance when you do that. Hold it closer to here." He instructed and placed his hand over hers to push it up on the grip. He had moved a little behind her to look over her shoulder and he continued his scrutiny. "And you're holding it tightly with all your fingers. It's better if you loosen your index and thumb and have most of the weight supported by your pinky and ring finger. You can't control the sword too much. It's gotta do it's job and it has to balance itself or your swings will be clumsy and stiff." He stopped and watched as she tried to copy what he has said. Pinky and ring finger? It was the first time he had ever been critical and it was the first time he had been the expert.

Slowly, she tried to recall each step and pulled the hilt closer to better position her hand on the grip as he had said. It felt odd to hold the sword like that and she wondered if it was now too loose in her hand. As if reading her mind, he spoke again.

"It probably feels loose, but you'll feel the difference when you swing it. The balance will feel right." He said and took a step back, her cue to try what he said. For the third time, she swung the sword and it felt better than before, the tip of the sword pointed in the direction she intended. The balance and her loose grip lessened the momentum, yet something still felt off. She looked over her shoulder to where he was watching, his blue eyes examining her. Taking another step forward, he began another lesson.

"Your posture is off and you're leading with your wrist and not the blade. You're fighting against the weight of the sword instead of letting it help you." he came closer and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling them back and he took her forearm in her hand once he was done correcting her posture. "Swing like this, over your head and straight down. For now, this is the best way to practice." He informed and opted to show her instead of explaining.

Pulling her arm up, she held the sword as he instructed and he pulled her arm down to mimic the motion that he was talking about. It was the odd motion that he kept repeating earlier that she said looked stupid. Why did she say that? She had no clue how wrong she was. He did this again and again, and she could already see and feel the difference. Another thing she could feel was her awareness of the man's proximity increase. Her heart clawed at her chest for a moment and she held her breath.

The feeling lingered even as he pulled away and let his arm drop from hers. She lowered the sword, wordless as she watched Link scoop up his Ordonian sword and the Hylian shield that was laid against the base of the tree.

"Wanna train with me? Just until you get tired of it? My goal is to get better at using my right arm for now so that I'm not caught off guard with my broken arm so I'll be practicing out here for a while." He asked, a hopeful smile on his face. She looked down at the sword and back to the watering can at her rosebush. Who likes gardening anyway?

"Okay. I'll try but if you start feeling bad, we'll quit." she confirmed and the blonde scoffed.

"I'm not going to feel bad. I'm using my right arm and I'm giving you the shield for a reason." he said and held the shield out for her. Taking it, she pulled it over her arm and held it at her side. Link shook his head and already had a critique.

"Before I show you the correct way, here's the problem with how you're holding the shield." without anything else, his demonstration was already in full swing, or jab rather, as he thrust the sword forward and let the tip stop at her chest. She flinched back and swung the shield forward.

"Hey, I'm not ready yet! You can't correct me if I'm not ready yet." she whined out, taking a moment to catch her breath after she had it scared from her, though she was determined to hide it. "What do you suggest then?" she asked, her tone harsh.

"Hold it in front of you. It's no use to the side. Make it the first place you hold the shield so that it's a habit. Are you holding the sword loosely?" He reminded and she looked down to check. She was not holding it the way he instructed and she changed her grip to be less firm and she repositioned the shield to her front.

"Now, swing the sword at me like you mean it. Swing it fast and hard." He instructed and she gave him a look.

"Wait, what if I hit you?" she asked and he shook his head.

"If you hit me, it's a job well done on your part." He affirmed and she took a deep breath in preparation. How could he be so sure? Swing with the blade, not the wrist. Shield in front. Loose grip. After taking into account what he said and trying to ready herself, she swung from the side.

A loud metallic clang cracked the air and the sword she held clanged off the side of his. She hadn't even seen him raise his sword. He was fast. He had taken a step to the side and was closer, as if he had stepped into the swing to meet her and she was leaned forward. She would try that next. Then, without warning, he swung his sword at her and in her reaction she raised the shield to defend herself. It bounced off the shield and she felt herself stumble back. She was going to yell at him but he was already midswing. Acting faster than she could think, she raised the blade to meet his and it stopped, grinding against hers. She looked up, surprised that she had managed that and he pulled his blade away.

"It's best to have your sword be your shield before you use your shield. The shield is the backup plan because a sword deflects a blade easier. Parrying like this is the first thing when it comes to sword fighting. Monsters like bublins and bokoblins usually carry wooden weapons if any at all so it's easier to be on offense with them, but with knights and stalfos, defense is always first." he said, his information dump settling in. She wasn't sure when she would have to know this, but in a situation where she needed it she hoped she could remember this. She nodded, letting him be the carrier of the conversation. For once, she had no comment and could make no glaring suggestion.

He was the expert here and it was proven by how he hadn't broken a sweat and looked as if he was restraining himself. If he were after her, she was sure that she wouldn't able to stand a chance. She had never seen him fight for real but his speed and strength were already apparent, even though he was limiting himself and using his non-dominant hand.

"Now, attack me but follow through. Don't pull your blade away at a parry. Try to break through and if you can't, attack me again and again until you get tired. Be aggressive. Let's see how you do." He said and held his sword in front of him. He stared at her, intensely focused.

Trusting him, she brought the sword up and could already feel the fatigue in her arm from holding it so long. She made sure her grip was loose and that she was mindful to let the sword balance itself. Swinging down, he parried her strike and yet again a deafening metallic clang. Regaining her wits, she swung from the side and met with his blade. She did it again. It was parried. Once more. Parried. She felt herself begin to break a sweat and her blood rush. She faltered and he jabbed his sword forward to meet the shield, sending her staggering back. He took a few steps toward her, his eyes locked with hers. She took in his stance and adjusted her posture. She would do like he did, stepping into his swing. Hopefully, this time she wouldn't be knocked back.

"Come on, get me. If you can break my stance once, I'll listen to you and rest for the evening. Is that incentive?" he challenged and she nodded, knowing that he lack of breath wouldn't allow her many words.

"Deal." She breathed out and took her swing, watching as it was parried, but she had a plan this time. Bringing the shield up from its position, she shoved his blade with both the blade and the shield, using the shield as leverage. She thought it would work, but he slid his sword from its place and her force sent her forward, no blade to catch her momentum. She stumbled and it was a miracle she didn't face plant into the grass.

Different approach. She decided this time she would use the blade to push his arms up and ram into his side. With that, she was certain he wouldn't be able to keep his balance, right? Her arm was already aching and the shield was getting heavier too but she wanted to win. She wanted to be able to impress him, even in something minor like this.

Taking her stance, she followed through with her plan and she aimed the blade up and caught him and in a surge of strength, she pushed up and tried to ram into his side. He had seen this coming somehow and took an effortless side step, sending her falling to her side in the vacant space. Groaning with disappointment, she steadied herself and tried again, this time with no plan. She swung down and her swing was met. She let the blade slide off and with her determination, she swung it up, where it caught on his blade again. There was no intent to ram him in the side, only to push him back. And it was failing miserably. She didn't have the strength and she held his gaze for a heated moment. He slid his blade off hers and she once again was doomed by her own momentum as she stumbled forward.

She had it. She couldn't do it anymore. She was panting and her arms were burning. She dropped the shield and let the sword droop in her grasp. Wiping her face with her spare hand, she found a sizeable amount of sweat that had accumulated on her brow.

"Okay…. okay….I'm done." She said between breaths. She was frustrated, but amazed that Link hadn't broken a sweat and looked overall unbothered by the session. Link gave her a small smile and stuck his blade into the sod.

"You did well for your first time. You have a lot to practice if you want to be good enough to battle." He encouraged and she placed her hand over her face. He gingerly took the sword from her hand and held it to his side. He was quiet as she caught her breath and she straightened up as best she could.

"I don't see how you're not even tired. You're the injured one and you just kicked my ass without even trying." she said, her breath still out of sorts.

"No, you kicked your own ass but I'll take that as a compliment." He smirked at her and she was going to congratulate him on his snarkiness, but a high pitched laugh erupted from the kitchen side door. Her mom.

"I can't believe you got her to hold a sword! She's refused to take a sword in the past." Chotti called out, the door half-open from where she stood in the doorway.

"Vabai, close the door! You'll let flies in!" Annette yelled back and felt bad as Link flinched away from her loud voice.

"Girls who kick their own ass can't yell at their moms! But okay. Also, take that duel out of here! I can't deal with seeing a duel" She jested, mocking her for earlier, but then shut the door, disappearing into the house.

There was a moment of silence before Annette spoke.

"Hey, do you want some water. I think a break would be nice." she said, craving something cool after her many failures.

"I don't need a break yet but I'll come with you." he laughed but let a seriousness invade his tone. "No, but you really did well. There have been people that I've tried to train with that drop their swords in a parry because they're afraid. I know your just starting, but good job Annette."

She let his sincerity sink in and truly felt like he meant it. She felt warm at his words and her face grew hot, but she could blame that on her ragged state. She sighed aloud and gave him a pat on his shoulder.

"It's Anne. You can call me Anne… if you want." she said and then huffed out, "I mean, it's no big deal but you don't have to say Annette. It's up to you." she covered effortlessly.

"Okay, Anne it is." He said with a smile and she had to look away to contain her grin. She didn't want anyone to know that she liked hearing her nickname from him of all people.

Without nothing else to be said, they made their way towards the house with the promise of a cold glass of water.


	14. Iron Bracers

A few slow days passed. The hours filled with quiet breakfasts and afternoon tea in between his training. His broken arm wasn't much better than it had been, its ache stayed with him all through the day and was the last thing he felt before falling asleep each night. The wounds on his chest had healed and were now nothing but sore, lingering marks on his chest. Perfect timing for his travel back to Ordon.

He had taken the past days to practice using his right arm and he was somewhat disappointed with his turn out. He was nowhere near as good as he was with his left arm, but at least he knew where his level of strength was. Much like the first day, Annette would often come out to watch, silently taking in his movements. She had agreed to practice with him once again yesterday, but she got burnt out quickly and stopped. Having just one person to train with, even if he had to be careful and wasn't much challenged by her, was useful. Much better than his usual exercises. She also bent a few of his arrows while messing around with his bow, but she wasn't a horrible marksman. Not good, but not bad either.

It was nice and it felt like she griped at him less in the past few days. She gauged the state of his chest and seemed okay so long as he didn't use his left arm and only gave the sparing sarcastic comment, perhaps to fulfill her daily goal. She was much quieter and kept to herself for the past few days, and while he was glad she wasn't on his case about everything he did, he wondered if she was okay.

Even now, as they rode close to Clock Town, she was quiet and stared off into the distance with some unrecognizable look. He played his pan flute to himself and Epona, who snorted along with his playing as an encore. She almost looked sad but she seemed more tired than anything. Anytime he would show her some kind of affection like a pat on the back or give her some compliment, she would be defensive and shell it off, taking a step away from him. He knew that she didn't mean it because he caught her hidden smile often after she thought he wasn't looking. Why did she want to hide her joy from him? Was it her modesty or was she just stubborn? He made a mind to pay extra close attention next time he did something like that to try and get a better read on her.

Entering the walls of Clock town, the streets were much busier than before. People walked around in masks and Anne groaned aloud, the first utterance from her as she was brought to the present from her thoughts.

"No, no, this is horrible. Everything is gonna be so jammed." she groaned and leaned forward on her saddle. Link looked around and looked back to her for an answer. "It's the Carnival of Time. I forgot that was this month. Tourists are gonna be all over the place and there's no telling how many bachelorette parties will come through." She whined. It sounded like a good thing, but she wasn't at all thrilled. Carnival?

"It won't be so bad. We'll get in and out so we won't have to worry about it." Link gave and she gave a non commited nod. Making their way to the stables once again, the blonde realized he had to know about the carnival. "What is this Carnival of Time about? Is it just for business or does it have a meaning?" he asked, putting his flute away. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"It originally had something to do with giants? But once that hero saved the city, it's been him. He was a boy at the time, the same one with the ocarina that is so celebrated here. Now, instead of the carnival being about the giants that built Termina, it's now to commemorate that boy. The masks sold here are supposed to be like the ones he carried. Of course, who knows how true that is. Really, it's just for business." she concluded, recalling the story with a lack of fondness or interest in the legend. He nodded along and wondered for a moment who that hero was.

Of course, it took way too long to board the horses as the stables were flooded with tourists who went around excitedly and gathered in groups. Anne muttered to herself and like before, grabbed his hand to lead him out of the stables. This time, he was somewhat glad she had his hand because in the crowd they would be separated in no time. Once they got past the stable. It was like de ja vu as they headed to the tailors, only this time there was no visit to Beedle's Bargain Bungalow. Link stood back and listened as the tailor explained what he had done and how he brought in an armor specialist for his bracers and what not. He droned on an on explaining things to Anne, who he could tell was having her patience tested. After talking for a little too long, the tailor, with his sharp red seeing glasses, turned his attention to Link.

"You've hardly said a word. Tell me, do you like the patch job? You're the one wearing it after all. Also, tell me if the bracers feel stronger. The leather worker had the idea to slip thin iron plates into the center. I said it might be too heavy, but I trust that armorer." He began and pushed the tunic towards him on the counter. Link looks down and inspected the patchwork, the rips now replaced with thin, barely noticeable seams in the same green thread as the fabric. It would look like new from afar. He grabbed the bracer and noticed the weight difference. Iron plates? That would be useful. He turned it over and found where the iron was tucked, so if need be, he could remove it.

"It's good. The plates were a nice touch." he gave and the tailor nodded and frowned at the lack of an elaborate response.

"Yes, yes of course. Don't be shy, try it on. I must see how it looks on you!" he gushed, and Link played along. He pulled his sheathed sword from his shoulder and placed it to the side, holding the tunic out and sliding it over his white shirt. He had to pull his hat out of the neck. Anne watched as he pulled the bracers over his sleeves and fastened them in place, turning his wrist to gauge the new weight on his forearms. The only thing missing from the outfit was the chainmail, which was tucked away in Epona's saddle bag. The tailor smiled to himself and the brunette gave him once over.

"Hmm…. now that hat makes sense. It doesn't look so bad with that." she gave with a smile and slapped his bracers, so see how hard they were. She gave a satisfied nod and looked to the tailor, who held his hands together in contemplation.

"Are you a reenactor? I wouldn't say that a mere reenactor would have a tunic of such quality with real armor, but it looks so much like… forgive me for saying but the hero of our legends." he claimed and Annette shrugged.

"No… I'm not." he responded, deciding to keep to himself the origins of the tunic. It was the first shred of humanity he could cherish after coming out of his beastly form and the words of the light spirit echoed. He picked his sword up by its straps and pulled the harness back over his chest.

"Oh, I see. I just thought that because of the carnival, some history buff might try a reenactment," he said and looked down. Anne gave Link a look and gave the tailor a wave.

"It's just his fashion. I wouldn't put too much thought into it." she began and took a few steps towards the door. "Thanks for the good job. If I ever need a patch up on something again, I'll come here." She said, grabbing the door handle to the street. Link knew she was ready to leave, so how followed her and the tailor gave an eager goodbye.

Once on the street, the brunette looked up and she crossed her arms.

"You know, you really do look like that. The illustrations in history books are so similar to what you're wearing. Why is that?" she asked, giving him another once over before setting off down the street. She wanted to walk and talk, he took it. They weaved through the people in the streets and she took his arm. He would have to speak at a higher volume in the buzz of the town.

"I think it's the same tunic… er, you know, as that hero." he said and she gave him a smirk.

"Okay, don't tell me then. At least tell me why you wear it. You know what it looks like and how historically iconic it is, so why?" she asked, obviously taking no nonsense and ignoring what she thought was a lie. She should know by now that what he said was true. He tried to form his words in a vague way. What was the heart of why he had to have this tunic? He couldn't tell her that it was a gift from a spirit because she would think he was joking again and he didn't know how to convince her.

"I wear it because the first time I found myself in it, I knew my responsibility and I knew my fate. I guess its a reminder of how I felt that first time. Not only that, but it was a gift." he said, putting it simply. She nodded and looked far off down the street.

"Responsibility huh? Then eventually you'll hate it." She chuckled and he looked to her for more, but she didn't expand on it. She looked down, thinking something that was unspoken yet appeared him as something sad. She would often get a passing look of sadness on her features, her shoulders dropping and her eyes ran from any contact.

He already looked at it with forfeit, knowing that there was nothing he could do. He couldn't throw this tunic away until everyone was safe.

"Maybe so." was all he could manage. Still avoiding his eyes, a seriousness solidified in her voice.

"You know what happened to that guy, right? That hero? They say he left and became lost for some time and reemerged as a knight. He fought silently and claimed no fame. One day, he was found dead from a battle that he took on by himself. Nobody really knows how it happened, but some say he willed it." she stopped and looked to a stand where masks were being sold, a flock of people huddled around it. "What I'm trying to say is, tunic or not, don't be careless for the sake of responsibility." she warned and met his eyes for the first time. Her seriousness lingered with him, her tone and stoney face really drove it home.

"Where's this coming from?" he asked and she again looked away, her eyebrows raised and her hand pulled from his arm.

"Nowhere, really. You're a good swordsman and you can take care of yourself but I know you can be stupid. Don't be stupid." she said and paused, her tone changed to a more defensive one, as she had displayed for the past few days. "Anyway, do you want a mask? For a souvenir? While we're here I might as well bring some food for us for this evening. I don't know how far Ordon is from Lake Hylia, but I want something if we have to camp." Her defense was nothing to him anymore. He knew she didn't mean it and that she really just wanted him to be safe. Still, he wouldn't say he was being stupid. It was his job whether he got hurt or not.

Her question lingered before he registered it and he when looked at the masks he found them all to be a little childish for his liking, but he thought about giving them to the kids. He could sneak one to Colin, if nothing else. As for camping, he knew that if they went late into the night that they would have no need for camping, as he had done it many times before, but for her sake setting up camp near the lake may be the best option.

Of course, they would decide when they got there.

"Alright, come on." She said, not really giving him the opportunity to answer, motioning him onwards to the mask stand, among other booths that were set up. They littered the streets in rows and sold various things like clothes, clocks, and food. The mask stand was colorful and had an array of tricolored streamers in golds and reds and greens. The clock chimed in the distance, letting them both know it was noon.

Once they came to the stand, the brunette rummaged through the masks on the tables and showed little interest. She had probably seen this every year since she lived here and was bored by it. Even though Link found the mask childish, he had to admit they were eye catching and well crafted.

"See anything you like?" she asked boredly, her eyes still drifting over the masks in front of her. He considered it and found one in particular that stood out to him. A wooden mask with deep, sunken red eyes and a hollow mouth that was agape, it's lips formed an 'O' shape. There were carved leaves on the top as if it was the mask's hair. There were no features besides that and it looked mournful. He wasn't sure why, out of all of the other masks, that he liked this one but he reasoned that the expression made it different. Picking up the mask, Link, turned it towards the brunette. She gave him a half smile and scoffed to herself.

"Deku scrub mask?" she asked and then shook her head. "Not that there's anything wrong with it! It's just not most people's favorite. So that's the one you like?" she saved, her hazel eyes looking over at the mask. There was a mirror hanging from the booth so he gazed into it, his reflection was somewhat warped as the mirror was in bad shape. Still, he brought the mask up over his face and judged it, finding that he liked it more by the second.

"Yes, this one is the best." he mumbled to himself and lowered it to find Anne nodding. She pulled her bag of rupees out and paid for the mask, along with one for herself. He could tell she didn't want it really, but she bought it anyway. Whether it was patronage or tradition, the mask she chose was interesting as well, an eagle's face with colorful feathers. He made the mental reminder that as soon as he got to Ordon, he would rush inside and pay her back tenfold what she had paid for while he was with her. He had a stash of rupees from his adventures that he could give her, even if he knew he might have to sneak it onto her somehow.

They left the mask stand and Anne set off across the town to the deli to buy smoked meats and bread for them to eat on their journey. This took no time and Link was just along for the ride, watching as she gathered everything together. As she did this, Link mulled over what she had done for him. She had griped and complained a lot at him, but not because of him. What she had done for him was more than anyone before. She claimed she wasn't a nice person and that what she was doing for him was no big deal, but it really was.

She took him into her home, bandaged him, fed him, and helped him get a few of his lost things back all while defending him against her mom and not so much as asking for a single rupee in return. She did nice little things like check on him through the day and talk to him in her free time as though they had known each other for a long time. Yes, she could be harsh but he had grown to like it. He really hoped he could visit her later on, if his duty and time allowed it. If nothing else, then he could drop by for tea and buy a jar of her jam. Even for him, who hated idle things like afternoon tea or sitting to talk about Gerudo jewelry, he found himself enjoying those little things. She was a good friend to him and he was going to remember her for certain.

Part of him wondered if she would remember him too or if she'd go about her business as usual without having to worry about him. Knowing that the horse ride out would be rather silent, as neither of them talked much, he decided to let her know in a few short words how he felt. In public, as she waited for the owner of the deli to pull the smoked pork from the supply, they couldn't fall to prolonged silence afterward. The subject would be changed, but she would have still heard it from him.

"Hey, Anne?" he piped up and she cast a glance over her shoulder from where she was reading the ingredient list for a dessert bread.

"Mhm?" she hummed in response, placing the bread down to pay attention to him. "Sorry, the cranberry cinnamon bread had me… entranced." she half joked.

"Thank you for everything." He breathed out and his words were lost. How could he say it better than that? The brunette looked at him and then to his tunic. Closing her eyes, she gave a dismissive hand wave.

"Pssh, don't worry about it. It's nothing. That tunic means a lot to you and I couldn't send you home with-" He cut her off, shaking his head.

"No, not just the tunic. Everything. Thank you for helping me get on my feet and not letting me leave like that. You've done more than just help me." He said and placed his hand on her shoulder to hopefully convey his sincerity. Her eyes lingered on where he touched her shoulder and she coughed to herself, though he was sure it wasn't real.

"Hey, really, don't worry about it." she said, her discomfort clear as she shifted around on her feet and avoided his eyes. Pulling his hand back, he felt as though he might have overstepped his boundaries. She had never seemed to mind before, so he thought nothing of it. He reasoned that he embarrassed her, as they were in public and her face had grown a shade pinker. That had to be it, but it was only what he told himself for comfort.

The deli worker returned and Anne's attention snapped right back to the business at hand. Taking the goods and paying him, the interaction was forgotten and he stood and basked in the embarrassment of messing up his gratitude. Turning back, the travel bag in hand, the brunette went for the door but stopped and gave him a once over. She looked down at the goods and back to Link, who let his eyes divert from hers. As if reading his mind, she sighed and stuffed the bread into her parcel.

There was a moment of silence and she opened her mouth to say something, but shut it and shook her head. Link watched as she pulled the door open for him and motioned him on. To the stables it was. He willed his embarrassment and unease to leave, but it was more difficult than he thought. They stepped outside and the great clock chimed over the town, telling them it was half past noon. Annette looked from Link to the distant buildings down the block and folded her arms as she halted at the door stoop. The door shut behind Link ad he followed her a few steps before he too stopped. She muttered something to herself, and he leaned in to listen.

"...Or maybe fried food?" she muttered, her thoughts taking her from the moment. "Lunch would be nice if we sat down." she mused, her back turned to him and Link was about to give his input before he heard something creak from above, almost inaudible in the noises of the townspeople. Annette had not noticed, but he did a double take around in case. There was nothing but him and Anne in the stoop ad yet the sound was close.

"What do you think? We don't have to eat here, obviously, we're stocked up, but it would be a moment to breathe before we have to set out." she asked and the metallic creak sounded again, from behind him.

Before he could check to see if Anne had noticed, he turned on his heel to find the source of the sound and nearly yelled out when something dropped from the roof of the deli. It landed softly, almost unable to be heard even from such a height.

A hooded figure hunched down from it's landing on the stone stoop, slowly rising to meet the confused gaze of the blonde. A sheathed dagger hung at the figure's belt. The figure, though its head was lowered, had a cloth mask covering the lower half of its face. Dark brown eyes pierced his in a challenge, the masculine features telling. The man was slightly taller and loomed over him, his thick, blade nicked eyebrows pulled down in a glower.

Link was ready to do what was necessary, the challenging eyes of the stranger were nothing to take lightly. This man meant to harm and Link was ready. Instead of taking ay action, the man looked past the blonde. He was looking at Anne. Link looked over his shoulder to where Anne was, her ignorance of the situation on display as her back was turned to him, still prattling on about lunch. The hooded man took a step back, raising his arm high above his head. A clay object was gripped in his gloved hands. His glare returned to Link as he swung his arm down, the clay object smashing on the concrete. Link braced himself, bringing his arms up in defense, his assumption was that the object was some kind of bomb. He was too late to do anything about it, but his hope was that Anne was far enough away that she wouldn't be as affected.

Instead of an explosion of heat, a reaction of a thick, green tinted smoke filled the air in seconds, the masked man disappearing behind the growing screen. It swirled around him, filling his vision and creeping into his lungs. The shocked gasps of the witnesses on the street was the only indication of what was going on. He coughed and hacked, the smoke burning his throat and he covered his mouth to prevent any more from getting to him. He heard a muffled groan and the sounds of a struggle as he whipped around in the fog to make sense of what was happening.

The thickness of the fog dissipated as it swirled outward and thinned. Link's surroundings began to clear and his heart dropped when Anne was no longer in her spot. It was as he suspected. He rushed over to where she had stood, still coughing to clear his lungs. Surprised townspeople stared with horror and suspicion at him, but that was the last thing on his mind. Frantic movements only made it harder for him to set off on a plan as he swung his head around to search for any clue as to the brunette's location. He was short of breath, from the mix of coughing and his growing panic. He wasn't sure where to run towards, where to search.

Until he caught sight of a mask, laid at the mouth of an alley towards the back of the deli. It swayed back and forth on the ground, having been just dropped, beak and brightly colored feathers catching the light.

His direction established, he shook off his disorientation and set off in a sprint to find his friend.


	15. Busted Nose

Finally, her efforts were successful and she was able to tumble from the hooded man's arms. She fell to her side and scrambled up, the residual smoke bomb still stung her throat. Coughing, she forgot to capture her breath and took to her feet. The man pulled his hood down, his jet black, short cropped hair stuck up in the back at an angle. His scarred eyebrows lifted in greeting as he pulled the mask from the lower half of his face, a cocky grin displayed in the midst of his dark stubble.

With a laugh, he leaned against the wall of the secluded alley and folded his arms.

"Long time no see! I was beginning to think that you-"

"Dammit Volmar! Don't you ever do that again! I don't care what the situation is. I'm not some ragdoll to be carried around!" She shrieked and shoved her finger in his face. Her anger was overflowing. How dare he? She gave him a well deserved knee to the groin and he doubled over, his breath taken from him. Ignoring his pain, she turned away and rubbed her face in frustration.

"I had someone with me! Now he's lost and probably upset and confused. I don't have time to properly chew your ass right now." she groaned out, tapping her foot on the cracked stone of the alleyway. It was quiet and private, a laundry pool trickled from a spring that lead under the town and rested there. It was not enough to quell her anger.

The man straightened up as best he could after her low blow, his voice strained.

"That weirdo was with you? I thought he was just leaving the deli." Volmar choked out, laughing to himself despite his pain and her anger. She shot him a glare. "He looked like a scared little boy who couldn't even-"

His voice was choked into a strangled yelp when he was struck out of nowhere, a blur of green overtaking the man. With a heavy smack to the face, the man lost his balance and his back scraped down the brick surface of the wall. He ducked just in time to avoid another swing and Link's arm grazed the brick, the clang from the refurbished bracers cementing in her mind how hard the hit would have landed. Annette jumped back in shock, as she hadn't even heard footsteps. In an enraged growl, the swordsman grabbed Volmar, scarlet beginning to gush down his face. Link pulled him forward, his eyes focused and wild, and in a great effort slammed the man against the brick wall, the crack of the man's head against the surface was gruesome.

Staring in awe as the unfortunate raven-haired menace fell against the wall, Annette felt her breath catch when Link's icy eyes moved to her, his expression hard and his brows arched. Rushing over, he pulled her with him, her balance vanishing as his hand slapped around her arm. The dark-haired man, though bloodied and shaken, got to his feet, his stance lowered. Link's grip on her was instead focused on shoving her behind him, once again she was tugged around like a ragdoll. His strength wasn't carefully measured now. He was scared and rightfully so and where he had grabbed her stung a little.

Both of the fighters stared each other down. Annette was speechless and still not over the shellshock. This is the thing she dreaded. Luck was on her side, however, as the dark haired man was the first to break the tension. Not by the drawing of a blade or any sudden move, but by a harsh, bitter laugh. He straightened up, any battle stance was forgotten on his part, but Link didn't budge. In fact, he reached behind him, his hand grabbing for her to ensure that she was still behind him, his fingers finding her forearm.

"Wow, you are something! Anne, where did you pick up this woodland fae?" he chided, blowing the blood from his lips. Link stiffened and shot her a concerned and confused look, his wide eyes still contained that wild look from only seconds ago.

Annette averted her eyes to glare at the robed man. She hoped that she could have time to explain this before he met Volmar, but her hopes were dashed. As much as she wanted to claim that the opinions of other people didn't matter, she wanted Link to understand her. For what reason, she could not decide if it was because she truly wanted him to trust her or if her surfacing crush had anything to do with it.

* * *

Link looked from the dark man to Anne, who gave no answer. The man had abducted her and Link had ran around the corner just in time to see the woman knee him. Some words were exchanged but Link hadn't heard them due to his focus on getting the man away from the brunette. And now, Annette was idly standing by him as if she had no intention of fleeing from the man who whisked her away in a cloud of smoke. Worst yet, he had called her Anne. They knew each other.

The silence lingered over the three and Annette crossed her arms. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, her face red with her anger.

"You deserved that. I hope you got a concussion." She snapped back and let her fingers pinch the bridge of her freckled nose. "And it's Annette, to you. What do you want anyway?" She huffed her question out, her shoulders drooping in resignment.

Link's attention turned to man, who after rubbing the back of his head, tried to wipe the excess blood from his gloved hands. From his hip under his cloak he pulled a small red and gold embroidered sack and tossed it to Anne, who barely caught it. Her eyes lit up in recognition.

"This is-" she trailed off and the man finished her statement for her, sniffling to clear the blood from his sinuses.

"Your mom asked me to deliver this to you. I would have taken it for myself if I knew Chotti wouldn't string me up from my feet." he gave a self deprecating laugh and gave Link a small, pointed glance. In response, he glared back, hoping that the man got the message with his bloody nose. It didn't matter if his arm was sore and throbbing with pain right now, if this guy pulled something like that again, Link knew he would do more than shove the man into a wall.

Anne scrutinized the bag, looking up to narrow her hazel eyes at the cloaked man.

"First you cause a scene and cross the line to deliver a package and _then_ you steal from me? You're the worst." Her voice lifted in volume, her accusation caused the man to scoff.

"Me? Steal from you? You know me better than that." He played, but his raised eyebrows and faked smile was enough the tell the truth after being called out.

"Yes, I know you too well but I also know the popular embroidered bags that come only from a certain Gerudo blacksmith. Hand it over." She scowled and reached her hand out in a demanding gesture. Link was stunned at how quickly she had caught on. He also turned an accusatory stare towards the man. He had better give her whatever weapon he had stolen if he knew what was good for him.

"I'm not-"

"Now! Volmar!"

Her angry command rung through the small area, drowning out the trickle of the water in the background. The man, Volmar, rather, groaned aloud and rolled his eyes, muttering something to himself as he untied the weapon hidden beneath his cloak. It too was wrapped in a silky, red and gold embroidered fabric, all that was visible was the brassy handle. He spitefully dropped the clothed weapon into her grip and took a step back as Anne pulled it close.

Taking a moment, she pulled the bag open and pulled a small, folded piece of parchment from it and read it silently to herself. Once her eyes had finished trailing the words, she pointed the handle towards Link, catching him off guard. Did she want him to hold it for her?

"For you, from mom. She says it's better than the, in quote, "petty Hylian toothpick'' sword you carry now. Also, ginger candy for me." she resolved and Link took the sword. Petty Hylian toothpick. Which was the letter referring to? The Ordonian sword or the Master Sword? Either way, he knew that the statement was ridiculous.

Volmar snickered as Link pulled the blade from the cloth, the curved steel glinted in the sunlight and reflected his own face. It was a nice sword, but he found his two to be way better for his fighting style. It was weighted nicely and balanced itself in his grasp. It had to cost a decent amount, he concluded.

"Great, and who is this that receives a scimitar from Chotti? The Clock Town man-hater and cynic extraordinaire? Anne, don't tell me…" he smirked in his sarcasm and teasing. He tilted his head back to try and calm his nosebleed, his words a little nasally as consequence.

"Don't have to explain and don't want to. Bye bye! Come on Link, let's go." The brunette ushered, having put away her small bag. Her fingers wrapped around Link's upper arm and he wrapped the scimitar back up, hoping he would finally be able to ask Anne what exactly just happened. Why was she so familiar with this shady figure. There had to be some explanation for it because surely she couldn't be associated with him, could she?

The man spoke up as the woman pulled Link along, his words a warning tease.

"Oh okay, leave and miss what incredibly important lead that I have regarding you know what. You're busy anyway, selling strawberries and playing house in your cozy little home." Her tugging stopped and Link almost collided with her as she paused. Her eyebrows raised and crunched back down into a glower. Link would just have to try to piece together what was happening.

"Damn right I am. I don't care about "you know what" and as far as I'm concerned, you can shove it up your-" She began, her spare hand pointed at him before it fell, the man now gaping at something other than her, his teasing, sarcasm lifted to be replaced by a wide eyed look of astonishment. Link knew that Anne's words weren't what the man was stunned by, and tracing Volmar's gaze to his own back wasn't the only thing that made Link realize.

Come to think of it, Link had heard the name "Volmar" before. If he recalled correctly, he heard it in the discussion that Anne and her mother had over the Master Sword. Link, looking over at the sword fastened to him knew that it was this sword that had the man so entranced.

"Is… is that?" He uttered softly, his eyes still focused and wide. He took a step towards them, his now drying nosebleed forgotten. Link's hand twitched, ready to take action if necessary, even if he knew that the man would not be able to unsheathe the sword. He didn't want to watch another person try to take the sword and be extinguished like a flame.

Anne scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh that? I would think you of all people would be able to tell a cheap replica apart from the real thing." she teased and crossed her arms. He snapped out of it and scrunched his face at her.

"Replica? Of course that's what it is. I would never be fooled by that cheap thing." he said in defiance and turned his nose up. "What is he doing with a fake anyway? Is he asking for trouble?" He asked Anne, who shrugged. Link focused on the man and watched as he was being talked about as if he wasn't even there.

"If that's all, then I need to be going now." Anne said and gripped at her parcel bag. Volmar gave Link a judging glare before tilting his chin up in a quick gesture.

"I have something to show but first I need to ask if your friend here is happy keeping his mouth shut."

"Volmar, I don't have time for this right now and I don't really care." She said abruptly, motioning for Link to follow her.

"It's about Nalo. One of my men found something." he said and the brunette stopped.

Link yet again opted to be silent, noticing how the mood shifted and any argument left the brunette to replaced with a stark seriousness. She was not the only one who's mood shifted, the silence lingered over both of them. Anne let her head tilt down and she took a deep breath, her eyes shut for a passing moment.

"You better not be playing. I swear, if you are then…" she trailed off, any heat to her voice was gone now when she was so eager to discard the dark haired man before.

"Come with me. I have it inside and I'll explain but your friend has to zip it or else you know what happens. I don't wanna do that but I will if I need to." He said with a hint of warning. Link tried not to bristle too much at that. He wasn't sure but he thought he knew what Volmar meant and he didn't like it at all. What was he doing that required him to make a death threat like that anyway? The more Link knew, the less he liked the situation.

"He'll be fine but don't get too cocky. I don't think he'll hesitate to bust your nose again." she gave with a half hearted laugh and the man rolled his eyes and gave Link another daring look.

"Hilarious. I wouldn't have just let that happen if he wasn't with you." he excused but shook his head as if shaking away his thoughts. "Let me go inside and put a few things away. I trust you but not him and he doesn't need to see a few things for his own good." Volmar stated and gave another useless wipe at his blood crusted face, doing little to clean himself up.

With that, he strutted across a little wooden bridge that connected the land to a concrete landing which lead to a door. As soon as the man was in the door, Annette turned towards Link. She took a deep breath and exhaled in a shaky manner. Her hazel eyes were wide and she gave the door a glance.

"Okay, you're not going to like this, but I'll have to explain quickly." she began and Link folded his arms. She was probably right about him not liking it but he still didn't see where she fit in with this. He gave her his undivided attention, hoping that she would be able to clarify some things in the short time that he expected that they had.

"These guys are bad news and they're after your sword, or rather Volmar is after your sword. You can't say anything to make him or the rest believe that what's on your back is real and you absolutely can't say anything about my brother's journal. Please, Link, don't say anything. They've been trying to get their hands on these for years and they won't hesitate to rough you up if not kill you for it." she said in a rush and let her breath catch up with her.

"If I say anything that you know isn't true… please don't correct me. I don't want them to get the journal. I know that's asking a lot and you probably don't trust me much now but I'll do my best to explain everything later. For now, please trust me." Her words were desperate and pleading and he had never heard her like this. She didn't look him in the eye and her gaze was focused downwards towards the water.

He took a deep breath and tried to express what he was thinking, but he wasn't really sure what he was thinking. He knew that she was involved somehow in a mess with someone like Volmar but he didn't know how or why. He knew that if anything were to happen, he would come out okay just as he always did but he didn't want to be let down.

Still, the brunette hadn't let him down yet and he was somehow convinced that she wasn't going to. He wanted to trust her and he wanted to give her that chance. She had done nothing but help him and even if she wasn't who he thought she was, even if she wasn't a model citizen, she still helped him when he was down. He kept thinking of some way to say thanks, of some way to pay her back.

Maybe the best he could do now was to let her know that he trusted her?

"Okay, I promise." He spoke up, for the first time, his voice came out quieter than he intended. She looked up at him in surprise and her expression softened. "I won't say anything."

"You trust me?" she asked in disbelief and he gave her a nod.

"I trust you, even if I don't know what's going on."

"That's a poor choice around here, but I'm glad you do. I'll fill you in later, if you don't figure it out for yourself in a minute anyway." she said and rubbed her arm. The crisp scent of smoke still lingered in the air and Link remembered the mask that she had dropped when Volmar had abducted her like a maniac. The thought turned Link's mood sour.

"Did he hurt you when he grabbed you like that?" he asked, his hand wondering to his pouch where he had tucked the mask she dropped. She shook her head.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me…" she trailed off and looked down at the scimitar she had forgotten that he was holding.

"Guess mom didn't find you so awful, huh? She's always trying to give me weapons so I'm glad she has someone else to dump that on now." she said, trying to diffuse the tension.

There wasn't time to respond as the door across the pool opened and Volmar poked his head out, tissues stuck in his nostrils. Link might have found it funny if he didn't already dislike the man. He gestured to them and held the door open.

On cue, Anne gave him a warning look and they both headed over to the door.

Link didn't know what he would discover inside, but he did know one thing. He trusted that Annette would tell him whatever he needed to know afterward.


	16. Sketchbook

The thick wall of cigar smoke almost pushed Annette from the building as she stepped up into the back of the store. The tendrils of smoke swirled and bobbed around the lantern light of the dim room and the number of stacked boxes and barrels. Coughing, Annette tried to usher away the cloud with frantic hand waves, but it was no use.

"Open a window or something," she choked out before coughing again, "This is disgusting!" She complained and looked behind her to watch Link shut the door behind him and immediately scrunch his face.

"Don't you ever stop complaining? Geez, Anne." Volmar rolled his eyes, his nasally voice whined. Annette frowned, both at the man and ignoring what she said about her name.

"Don't start. Just tell me what you-" she began and a loud, thunderous voice interrupted. The source of the cigar smoke, no doubt, and probably her favorite of Volmar's crew.

"Anne! It's been so long!" His over excited voice nearly yelled out, the large and beefed up man stepped out from behind the boxes where he sat around a round table. His cigar was left to set and burn out, thank the goddess. "You know, I've been meaning to come by and buy some of your um…. Is it raspberry jam?" he asked and she impatiently shook her head, ready to get the pleasantries over. She was already in a sour mood. With that, Volmar gave her a small wave and headed towards the back without explanation, leaving her to deal with the man by herself.

"No, it's strawberry. There's no need to visit me, really." She began but didn't have the chance to continue her thoughts. The auburn-haired man shook his head and uncrossed his boulder sized arms.

"Don't be like that, you're always so distant. Come here." he said and swooped in before she could yell opposition, pulling her into a painfully tight hug. She squirmed around and managed only a choked groan before he released her. She took a few steps back and shot him a glare, her arm raised in front of her to smack at him if he tried it again. Now she remembered why he was still a bother despite his friendly disposition.

With a smile, the man turned towards Link, whose eyes bounced from her to the large man, his eyebrows raised.

"And who is this? Are you Anne's friend?" he questioned, his sing song voice oblivious to Annette's eye daggers.

"That's Link. He's just a pal who I paid to help me out with canning jam." she gave and shot Link a look. His eyes widened and he nodded along.

"Any pal of Anne is a pal of mine." he gave and much like he did with her, swooped in and grabbed Link into a forceful hug. The blonde went rigid like a board and choked out a gasp when the man squeezed him. Link was mortified and come to think of it, he didn't come across as a huggy person to her. Given the chance when the man finally released Link, he shoved him away and took a few steps back, a look of disbelief and annoyance flashed in his eyes.

"Come on, Gobi, when are you gonna learn that no one likes your hugs." Volmar began, shutting a door from the back room behind him. In his hand was a small leatherbound book that Annette immediately recognized as her brother's. She wasn't sure exactly which of his books it was, but she hoped it wasn't anything that gave Volmar any ideas. "Everyone's reaction is the same when you hug them." he pointed out and with a half smile held the small book up.

Without invitation, Annette made a grab for the book and Volmar laughed and pulled it back.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? It was one of my guys who found it! You can't just take it." Volmar warned and smacked the book against his palm. "There could be important stuff in here that I need to know! It may not be as essential as the other journal, but it's something."

"What do I think I'm doing? Are you serious? I don't care who found it." Her voice heated up and any bit of calm she felt seconds before was gone. Volmar quirked an eyebrow at her and his annoying smirk returned.

"Annie, I knew you were cold hearted but not this cruel. Don't you think I deserve to have it?" he cooed out and his tone changed as he turned away from her. "He was my friend after all." That did it. Annette could no longer get a grip on her voice, of the volume at which she responded. He wasn't going to keep the book if she had to throw a fit.

"Your friend? He was my MY brother." She shrieked and from the corner of her eye she saw both Link and Gobi recoil and wince. "Give it to me NOW!" she bellowed and stomped her foot. Volmar's defensive demeanor dropped and he stared back at her with a stark shock.

He opened his mouth for a moment and lowered the book. In an almost exaggerated gesture, he screwed his eyes shut and shoved the book into her chest, as if throwing hot coal at her.

"Fine, just take it. Don't ever say that I didn't do anything for you." He said through clenched teeth and took a deep breath before opening his eyes.

With the book now in her hand, she tried to get over her moment of rage and tried to breathe as her fingers traced over the book's leather cover. Slowly, she opened it and Volmar leaned in to look as well. The paper was stained cream and brown feathered at the edges. Little spots of green clung to the paper in little rounded shapes like flowers blooming. On the page was not writing but a small sketch of a squirrel with a few words to be spared about the drawing. Turning the page, there were more drawings of random things. Flowers, rocks, trees. Nothing that stood out to her. Thumbing through the pages as delicately as she could manage, the book stopped in the middle with a passage. She closed the book and sighed, her heart still uneasy from her little outburst. She couldn't read the passage right now and she decided to read it later when she was alone.

With the book closed, she noticed that everyone was looking at her, waiting for an explanation

"This was his sketchbook. Nothing more." She breathed out and Gobi flashed her a smile,

"Oh nice! Nalo was always so good at drawing. Can I see?"

"Shut up, numbskull! This is bad. This was not the book we were looking for! The real book is still out there!" Volmar growled at him, leaning over to put his palms on the small table in the center of the room. Gobi crossed his arms and looked down, biting the inside of his cheek. Volmar didn't notice and instead shook his head and looked down at the table. As if remembering something, his face lit up. "But, we still have the photo!"

Anne gave Link a wary glance and rolled her eyes. He seemed to understand what she was trying to convey and he took a step towards the door. The dark-haired man's eyes shot up and gave the blonde a glare.

"Where do you think you're going? I know Anne doesn't have any manners, but don't tell me you don't either." He snapped and Link gave him a look, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Manners? That's rich coming from someone who nabs people in the middle of the street to try and guilt-trip them into keeping their brother's book." Link said and Annette was shocked. She hadn't heard him say anything scathing like that before. She nodded and went to his side.

"Yeah, we don't have time to hang around either. We have to go somewhere and we don't need a delay." Annette added and Volmar straightened up.

"Oh yeah? Where are you going exactly?" he questioned, giving Gobi a small glance to make sure that his underling was paying attention. Link opened his mouth but Annette blurted out the answer first.

"Kakariko Village. The season is over and I don't need a farmhand anymore, so he's going home." she lied and Link's gaze darted from her to Volmar as he nodded. Volmar hummed and gave her a daring look. He knew she was lying.

"A farmhand? From Kakariko? I've never heard of people having farms there." he mused. Link answered this time, going along with what Anne had said.

"I have to get work somehow. That's why I have to leave Kakariko… but now I'm done and need to go back." He added in the most unconvincing way and Annette rubbed her temples. Volmar smiled knowingly at her and clapped his hands together

"Oh I get it. Say no more. It doesn't take a genius to realize what's going on here. First, your little _friend_ gets a sword from your mom, which means she has to have met him and now you're both trying to be secretive. Well excuse me for intruding on your, how should I put it, _alone time_, but I have photo proof that the most powerful sword in history has been removed from its spot." he says scathingly, beginning to rummage through the pouch under his cloak.

"I don't have a clue what you're insinuating, but whatever it is, you're wrong. It's your fault if your mind is in the gutter." she defended herself, crossing her arms. "Besides, if that sword exists, there's no way it's just disappeared."

"That's where you're wrong because I have proof!" he countered and his eyes lit up when he found what he was rummaging for. In a quick movement, he pulled it from his pouch and held it out for both of them to see. "AHA! See!"

She squinted her eyes to try to make sense of what the picture showed. It was no more than a blur of white and green.

"Ah, a blurry photo. You've really outdone yourself." She gestured at it. Volmar scoffed and gave it another look. Gobi spoke up.

"Sorry about that miss Anne. It's hard to take photos through a telescope. I fell out of the tree I was in because some bees-"

"Okay, yes it's blurry. So what!" Volmar interrupted, getting irritated. Jabbing his finger into the photo, he continued, "Right there! Can't you see it? That's the pedestal that holds the sword. According to what I've read, it sits in the white marble pedestal that used to be in an old temple. This is that temple!" Anne nodded along but made a note to ask Link later. All she knew from Nalo years ago was that the sword was in the Faron woods and that's it. She never heard anything about a temple.

"Volmar, all I see is a blur. How can you be so sure? You know what I think?" she asked but answered her own question as the brown-eyed man pulled the photo back. "I think you're chasing a myth. There's no way something like that just exists in secret and hasn't been discovered or guarded by now. You don't think that the Hylian royalty wouldn't have a relic like that on lockdown by now?" she questioned and he held his finger up, a smirk crossing his face.

"Oh yeah, that's the point. There is a fear surrounding the sword. They say if you touch it, it kills you if you're not _worthy_ but that's a myth in itself. That's what keeps the cowards of Hyrule from seeking it out. You see, the only person who has ever held that sword is someone brave enough to try. I've read the legends and no one else has tried because they're scared. I know deep down that sword is there for anyone who dares to take it. It's that myth that's holding everyone back! Don't you see?" he blubbered on and Link pinched the bridge of his nose. Anne laughed once he was done with his spill and Volmar gave her a look of disbelief.

"You're crazy." she stated through her laugh.

"No, I'm knowledgeable. I know this!" he argued. "How can you say that I'm crazy? It's plausible." he said defensively, almost whining.

"It's not plausible and here's why. Let's say the magical sword of fairy tales exists and it's everything the legends say. It purifies evil, it's incredibly strong and never breaks, and it is in itself made by the goddesses. Just like the triforce, it gives us humans the power of the gods and for what exactly? That's not the point, but you know where I'm going. If you believe that a sword as powerful as this exists, then what makes you create some delusional idea that it doesn't have a price? That a sword that powerful is up for grabs to anyone? When, for example, the triforce has to be gifted to an individual and not just taken as some kind of souvenir. That's the problem here. Things that are powerful take something in return. Using magic takes energy. Using a pictograph takes film. Do you see what I'm getting at? Either take the fairy tale as it is or just forget it." She stopped, gave Gobi a farewell gesture and grabbed the doorknob.

"I don't follow but okay. I'm the crazy one. Sure, but don't forget your brother thought this too. Do you think he was crazy?"

Anne paused. She didn't want to admit it, but she always hoped that her brother was right. Even knowing now that she had been wrong about the myth, she still remembered how heavily she doubted Nalo and wished he would stop.

"Yes. He was crazy and he died for it." swinging the door open, she gestured at her blonde companion. "Come on Link, we've stayed here long enough." she said and spared the cloaked man farewell glare as Link followed her out.

Shutting the door, she watched as Link took a few steps and paused when he realized she hadn't budged. She looked down at the book in her hands and took a deep breath of the fresh air, glad to be free from the lingering smoke of the store. Carefully, she tucked the book into her parcel bag and exhaled as she searched for words of explanation for her friend.

"Let's get out of here. You can explain later. It's a long ride." Link said and Anne nodded, thankful for that. The sound of music from the festival still roared over the rooftops and she knew it would be a hassle to get back to the stables.

At the very least, it promised that she could attempt to prepare for answering all the questions that she knew Link would have. It's not like it mattered. It was unlikely that she would see him again once he got home, but she still felt like an explanation was due.


	17. A Poem of Mystery

The sounds of nature and the soft crunch of hooves on the dirt trail was all the lingered between them. The late afternoon air was beginning to cool as the sun crept closer to the horizon. Tree frogs sung in the forest and Anne was beginning to wonder if she should bring a lantern out before it got too dark. She wasn't sure if it was her eyes playing tricks on her, but she thought she saw the first flickering lights of fireflies.

There hadn't been a word said between them and now she wondered if Link would ever ask her about the events he was put through. Reluctantly, she tried to come up with something to begin her explanation but she didn't get the chance.

"Why…" he trailed off, his voice almost startling her. His eyes were trained down at his saddle, as he wondered too how to start.

"Why are you involved with someone like that?" he asked, the question was the one that she knew was to hardest to answer. "His threats, his disregard for you. Why?"

"He wasn't always like that. I mean, no one really starts off that way. He and my brother were childhood friends. They were both mischievous together and liked to leave the town and explore in the woods. It's kinda my dad's fault, really. Being a historian and telling them all fairy tales- I mean, maybe not fairy tales anymore. They grew up wanting that adventure. Their childhood interests turned into real motivation. My brother wanted to find that sword so badly. He was always reading, always searching for an extra tidbit of information. He didn't want to take it, no, he just wanted the satisfaction of finding it." she began, recalling her childhood. She felt her chest tighten at the fond memories.

"Of course, I was so impressionable when I moved to Clock Town from Gerudo. I was in a new place with an entirely different culture. My brother and Volmar were the two angels that helped me fit in, helped me adapt. I was much younger than my brother, so it's a wonder that he let me hang around, but I was grateful. I wanted to be just like him. The new addition to the family was a strain and with my mom having trouble finding a job, my brother and Volmar had an idea. They'd simply steal the food that we needed. The shops threw out the food so why not? Well, over the years they got more organized. Being as willing to impress my brother as I was, it was no problem distracting people while my brother stole what he needed to. It's not like Nalo was proud of it, it's not like he didn't feel guilty. Volmar… Volmar loved it." she continued, taking a deep breath.

"I think that Volmar thinks that eventually I'll change my mind and come back to help him. He knows that I don't want anything to do with it anymore. He's known for being apathetic of his members, but I think part of him still holds onto the friendship we had when we were kids. I'm afraid to be too forward in cutting him out of my life because my brother tried that once and it didn't end well. I know for a fact, however, after you punched him today, you're on his shit list. That's why I said you're from Kakariko, if you wanted to know. He may have caught on, but at least he doesn't know exactly where you're from. He wouldn't like anyone else to lie to him, but I know I can get away with it." she finished.

Link had silently listened to her half explanation and he remained quiet, musing over her words. He sighed.

"Annette? Please don't lie for me like that. Not to him. I don't want your concern for me getting you in trouble. I can handle him if I need to." He pleaded, his voice low.

"How can you hear what I just said and then come back with that?" She breathed out, her heart sinking. "Not a single scolding? No accusations? You can't… trust me after this?"

"Why not? If you were going to rob me, you would have done it already." he started. "Your guilt is enough. I don't care what you did in the past, no one's perfect." the blonde stated, his eyes tearing from the reigns that he fiddled with to meet hers.

She wanted to say that she couldn't believe it, but she had a feeling that Link would be this way. Part of her wanted him to be mad and to tell her to leave him alone. That would make it easier to say goodbye and it would prove to her that he's not an all-trusting ray of hope.

But the way he looked at Volmar, she had a feeling that he didn't trust everyone. And that was good.

By why did it matter. He was an adult, he could take care of himself right? Annette didn't have to worry. She didn't have to, but she did.

There was silence and instead of thanking him or commenting more on how she felt, she chose something else.

"It was hilarious when you punched him. Volmar, that is. No one ever gets away with that. I think even his crew would pay a few rupees to see that again." She said, her humor tinged her voice and for the first time since their departure, the mood was tangible. Link gave her a small laugh, the sound sweeping away her negative feelings.

"If he does what he did to you again, no one will have to pay anything." he said, his voice light but it held a seriousness. Her heart fluttered, and she gave a nervous laugh.

"A lot of people would do it for free." she added, diverting her gaze to look out at the open road. The sun was beginning to dip behind the mountain.

"So…" she began "Just up ahead is Lake Hylia, I think it'll take around two hours or so to get there. I don't know where to go after that or how long it'll take." she began and Link did a little mental calculation before he gave her the answer she was fishing for.

"If we keep on going, then we could probably make it to the Faron area by sunrise." he gave and looked over at her expression. She could pull an all nighter, but an all nighter on a horse sounded painful to her. He said it so nonchalantly, as if he traveled like this a lot. She had no doubt he did. Gauging her expression, he sighed.

"Near Lake Hylia, there is a spring that is tucked away in a cave. We could rest there for the night and maybe eat something." he said, the very thought looked to brighten his face. "Yeah, rest and food wouldn't hurt." he re-stated and she smiled.

"Good, I wouldn't mind it either. I brought some matches and a pan and you saw what I bought at the deli, right?" she asked and Link nodded.

"Sausage." he answered.

"Yes, sausage."

* * *

The fireflies were long gone and Anne was immensely overjoyed that the cave provided them safety from the nightly dew. Just thinking of being cold and wet was nothing she wanted to think about and the crackle of the fire was beginning to dull. One of the first things they did upon entering the cave was stoke the fire. While Anne did her best to prepare the sausage on the small travel skillet, Link found a way to set up the tent without any help.

Afterward, they ate and Anne even attempted to make a cup of tea, but the cloth she tried to use as a filter failed and the tea leaves were free to float around. Now, by the dying light of the fire, Anne flipped through her brother's sketchbook. Each page had maybe a sentence about the subject he was drawing. He drew everything from mushrooms that he found to the odd fashion choices of some Hylians in Castle Town.

On the very last page was simply a poem, and to her, that was the oddest thing. Nalo was not the type to write poetry and never once wanted to read a book that wasn't entirely fact. She read the poem over and over again but she wasn't sure what it meant. It was abstract and nonsensical.

It read:

_A circle of light that hides from the sky_

_A blue sun it adorns_

_To be whispered words of pleading for its purpose_

_Yet never to taint the air._

_It resides tucked in the blanket that holds the beginning and the end_

_The skeleton of such a beast_

_That shall never grow an inch more. _

It was completely absurd but she couldn't take her eyes off of it. It was definitely in her brother's handwriting. It had to mean something. Reluctantly, she called out to Link, who was by himself by the water of the spring. She heard rustling and he came over to her. He looked expectantly down to where she sat, his fingers pinching at his leather bracers.

"There's something written here. I think it means something but I don't know." she explained and Link took a seat next to her. He held out his hands and he took the book and began to read.

She didn't know if Link would be any help, but maybe they could both come to a conclusion. He leaned forward as he read and his blue eyes traveled the page a multitude of times. The brassy light from the fire was dull and hid his expression, yet she still watched in hope. He hummed to himself before muttering something.

"It's a riddle." He said, and read over it again, mouthing the words in silence. A riddle?

He flipped the book around and brought it close to his face. His eyes lit up and he grinned in satisfaction. Before she could ask, Link shook the book over his palm. She was in disbelief, struggling to understand what he was doing until something dropped from the inside of the book's spine.

A small, silver ring with a rounded blue gemstone gleamed in his gloved palm. Her mouth fell open and she was amazed that Link has figured out something like that so quick. He looked up at her and smiled.

"I think your brother wanted you to have this." he said and held out the ring. He dropped it in her palm and she ogled it.

"How did you...?" she began and Link obliged to explain.

"The first part wasn't the part I was looking at, but it makes sense that it's a ring. It's the last three lines that told me where it was. The "beginning and end" and "beast that will never grow" part made me think it may be the book, but when it said "skeleton" that's what made me think it was in the spine." he said and she gaped at him. She let the ring slide around in her palm before she looked back over to the poem in Link's hands.

"What about the middle? What do you think that means?" she inquired and then read it aloud, "To be whispered words of pleading for its purpose, yet never to taint the air." she recited and Link looked down at the ring.

"I think it's magic and has some purpose but I don't know what that is. Maybe you should put it on." he suggested. That was a good idea. She didn't want to lose it, especially if it was from her brother. She slipped the ring on and its appearance was dull and otherwise unimpressive. If it was magical, then it hid its potential well.

Link stifled a yawn and handed her the book.

"I'm about to put the fire out for the night. Do you want to read more or can I do that now?" he asked, and his question came as a reminder. She was tired herself.

"I'm good. I think it's time for bed." she stated and knew that she wouldn't be met with argument. In response, the blonde nodded and pulled the green tunic off, followed by the chainmail shirt. She had almost forgotten that he was wearing that under the tunic and felt sorry for him. She couldn't imagine how heavy that would get after a while.

Stripped down to just his white shirt, he dipped the skillet into the spring water and dumped it over the fire. The sharp sizzle accompanied the lack of light in the darkness of the cave. Annette had to let her eyes adjust before she could stand up and try to get over to the tent. The palette of Gerudo roll out mattresses were spread across the tight quarters of the tent and the brunette considered the one thing that hadn't crossed her mind before.

She was about to share a tent with Link.

It wasn't a big deal. No, she told herself. Not a big deal at all. They were just sleeping. Still, she realized how aware she was as she watched his lay on his side, pulling his cap off and setting it to the side. Reluctantly, she knelt down and rolled her blanket out over the thin mattress. Trying to think of anything else, she lay down and ignored how his back was against hers. She moved over as much as she could, but it didn't help much.

"Got enough room?" He asked and she hummed.

"I do… just make sure you have enough room for your arm. I don't want to bump it in the middle of the night." She said. "Just let me know and I'll scoot over." She added.

He only gave a hum in response. A few seconds passed and she added yet another thing.

"And stay on your side of the bed. Don't cuddle up to me if you get cold. There's another blanket in the bag." She warned for good measure. He gave a laugh, almost as if he expected it.

"Thanks, Anne. Goodnight." he uttered softly and she took a breath.

Instead of focusing solely on not feeling weird sleeping next to Link for the first and probably last time, she let her hand reach to ring and let her imagination craft its significance.


	18. To the Bridge

The soft lapping of the spring was like music from the water. Birds chirped and called. Light warmed his eyes and he turned his head to shield his face. Something strange and unfamiliar restrained his movement. Still lulled by his state of sleep, he willed his eyes to open and the roof of the tent greeted him. Letting his hand wander up to what held him, he discovered it was warm. Carefully, he looked down and realized that it was an arm. Anne's arm.

Attempting to blink the drowsiness away, he felt a weight on his shoulder and something tickled his cheek. Slowly, and much to his suspicion, he looked over to find Anne's sleeping face. She was using his shoulder as a pillow. He felt as if his breath had been sucked out of him and he tried to pull his shoulder away without disturbing her. With the slightest amount of movement, it looked as if her head would fall if he pulled away too much and that wasn't what he wanted.

He would have to wake her up instead.

In trying to find enough confidence to prod her awake, he realized something. One, he had never been this close to her. Two, he had never seen her while she was asleep. It was amazing how relaxed she looked, her face was completely blank. With this realization came the secondhand realization that her breath feathered across his neck. He found it hard to breathe, but he needed to wake her up. They had a long way to go today.

He lifted his hand and tugged at her arm.

"Anne," he pleaded in a hushed tone, "We need to go. You've gotta wake up."

With that, she stirred a little and rocked her face into his shoulder. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the way her hair fell over his cheek.

"We have a long way to go and we still have to pack everything up." he started again, still whispering. He wasn't sure why he was being so quiet, but it didn't seem like he had the need to raise his voice anymore.

Her hazel eyes fluttered open and she gave him a blank look, still slowed by her sleepiness. She looked at him, then to her arm. Closing her eyes again she mumbled something.

"Why are you hugging me?" her words blurred together under her breath. Him? Hugging her? His face felt hot with embarrassment.

"Hugging you? I'm not- listen, that's you." he gushed and she opened her eyes again. The realization began to hit her as she pulled her head from his shoulder, which was now incredibly numb. Her eyes widened and she sat up straight, her head hitting the top of the canvas tent.

"I'm not- I didn't… oh my goddess I'm sorry. I can't believe I did that!" She said and covered her face with her palms. He too sat up, his shoulder beginning to feel tingly from the numbness waning away.

"You didn't mean to! It's not a problem, really." He consoled but she shook her head.

"I'm sorry. Just forget that happened." she pulled her hands from her face and ran her fingers through her messy hair. "I'll start outside. You start on the tent." her words came and no sooner she had ducked through the tent entrance.

He sat there, letting his shoulder come back to life and rolling the mattresses up. He couldn't say he blamed her for rushing from the tent. One thing struck him as funny as he finished off deconstructing the tent.

Anne's warning to stay on his side of the tent.

* * *

"What's Ordon like?"

Her question rung out in the pleasant ambiance of the sounds of the forest. They were close to Ordon already, the trees of Faron rose overhead and dotted out the sun. Link looked over at her, brought from his daze. He hadn't spoken much the entire morning and she wondered if it was because she creeped him out with the unfortunate tent incident. She still felt sick about it. A terrible note to leave on. She didn't need to worry about it much more. She'd be by herself by nightfall and on the road back home. That's when she could mull over it.

"Ordon? What do you mean?" he asked and she had to reword her question.

"Well, I never really asked you much about it and since we're almost there, I thought you could fill me in about it. Do you like it there, what's the town like, do you have any friends there? That kind of stuff." she elaborated and shifted the reigns to pull out the ginger candy her mom sent with Volmar. The one nice thing that came from that encounter besides getting the sketchbook.

"What do you know about Ordon?" He asked first, which was a good move. She hummed and pulled the wrapped candies from the cloth bag.

"I know that it's known for goat milk. That's it." she gave and held up a candy. "Catch!" She said, not giving him an option and tossing it over to him. He made a grab for it and barely caught it before it fell to the ground.

"Goat milk huh? Other than that, there's not much more to the town. It's small and comfortable. Everyone knows each other and when there's an issue, everyone tries to help out. It's a nice place to live and I really don't think I want to live anywhere else." he said and she nodded along. Unwrapping the candy, he took a bite. After a moment he made a face. "This candy… does it have pepper in it?"

"No, it's ginger so it has a tiny bit of heat. A family recipe." she corrected before making her next point. "What about you? What do you like about it? Are you close with your neighbors?" she asked nonchalantly, fiddling with the crinkling wrapper paper. She wasn't sure why she was asking. Maybe to take her mind off a goodbye or to have something to remember of him. He paused and mulled over an answer.

"The people make the town. Because it's so small, they all treat me like family and in a way they are. Uli is like my mom, Ilia is like my younger sister, and the kids are all like my cousins. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. It's one of the reasons I am who I am now." he said, his moment of reflection hung in the air. She sucked in a breath and exhaled it slowly, the taste of ginger lingering.

"You wanna protect them huh? That explains a lot." she observed. "Just make sure you rest up when you get home. I can't try to make you take it easy after this." she sighed and Link tugged on the reigns, Epona halting in her trot.

Link's expression changed, his eyebrows pulled forward in a glower. Following suit, Anne pulled her horse into a stop.

In front of them was a long, narrow bridge bound by rope. That, in itself, was daunting but it only took a moment to discover what made Link stop in his tracks. Trudging in the middle of the bridge was a bulblin. Each step had the bridge sway, it's back turned towards them.

Without a word, Link pulled his bow from his back and notched an arrow in the blink of an eye. He looked down the shaft of the arrow and after taking a breath, he let the arrow fly.


End file.
